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Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microrapro  luctions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibiiographiques 


The  Institute  has  attempted  to  obtiin  the  best 
original  copy  available  for  filming.  Features  of  this 
copy  which  may  be  bibliographically  unique, 
which  may  alter  any  of  the  images  in  the 
reproduction,  or  which  may  significantly  change 
the  usual  method  of  filming,  are  checked  below. 


D 


D 
D 


D 


Coloured  covers/ 
Couverture  de  couleur 


I     I    Covers  damaged/ 


Couverture  endommagie 

Covers  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Couverture  restaur^  et/ou  pellicuMe 

Cover  title  missing/ 

Le  titre  de  couverture  manque 


I      I    Coloured  maps/ 


Cartes  g^ographiques  en  couleur 


□    Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
Encre  de  couleur  (i.e.  autre  que  bleue  ou  noire) 

|~~|   Coloured  plates  and/or  illustrations/ 


D 


Planches  et/ou  illustrations  en  couleur 

Bound  with  other  material/ 
RellA  avec  d'autres  documents 

Tight  binding  may  cause  shadows  or  distortion 
along  interior  margin/ 

La  re  liure  serr6e  peut  causer  de  I'ombre  ou  de  la 
distortion  le  long  dt  la  marge  intiriturt 

Blank  leaves  added  during  restoration  may 
appear  within  the  text.  Whenever  possible,  these 
have  been  omitted  from  filming/ 
II  se  peut  que  certaines  pages  blanches  ajouties 
lors  d'une  restauration  apparaissent  dans  le  texte, 
mais,  lorsque  cela  Atait  possible,  ces  pages  n'ont 
pas  «t«  film«es. 

Additional  comments:/ 
Commentaires  supplAmentaires: 


L'Institut  a  microfilm^  le  meilleur  exemplaire 
qu'il  lui  a  6t4  possible  de  se  procurer.  Les  details 
de  cet  exemplaire  qui  sont  peut-Atre  uniques  du 
point  de  vue  bibliographique,  qui  peuvent  modifier 
une  image  reproduite,  ou  qui  peuvent  exiger  une 
modification  dans  la  mithode  normale  de  filmage 
sont  indiquAs  ci-dessous. 


n 
n 

n 

D 

n 
n 
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Coloured  pages/ 
Pages  de  couleur 

Pages  damaged/ 
Pages  endommagtes 

Pages  restored  and/or  laminated/ 
Pages  restaurtes  et/ou  peilicui^es 

Pages  discoloured,  stained  or  foxed/ 
Pages  dAcolortes,  tacheties  ou  piqu^es 

Pages  detached/ 
Pages  dAtachAes 

Showthrough/ 
Transparence 

Quality  of  print  varies/ 
Quality  InAgale  de  I'impression 

Includes  supplementary  material/ 
Comprend  du  materiel  supplAmentalre 

Only  edition  available/ 
Seule  Mitlon  disponible 

Pages  wholly  or  partially  obscured  by  errata 
slips,  tissues,  etc.,  have  been  refilmed  to 
ensure  the  best  possible  image/ 
Les  pages  totalement  ou  partiellement 
obscurcles  par  un  feuillet  d'errata,  une  pelure, 
etc.,  ont  M  filmAes  A  nouveau  de  fapon  A 
obtenir  la  meilleure  image  possible. 


This  item  is  filmed  at  the  reduction  ratio  checked  iselow/ 

Ce  document  est  film*  au  taux  de  rMuctlon  indlqu*  cl-dessous. 


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The  copy  filmed  here  has  been  reproduced  thanks 
to  the  generosity  of: 

University  of  Windsor 


The  images  appearing  here  are  the  best  quality 
possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
of  the  original  copy  and  in  keeping  with  the 
filming  contract  specifications. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
the  last  page  with  a  printed  or  Illustrated  impres- 
sion, or  the  back  cover  when  appropriate.  All 
other  original  copies  are  filmed  beginning  on  the 
first  page  with  a  printed  or  Illustrated  Impres- 
sion, and  ending  on  the  last  page  with  a  printed 
or  illustrated  impression. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shell  contain  the  symbol  — ^-  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED"), or  the  symbol  y  (meaning  "END"), 
whichever  applies. 

IMaps.  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  In  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  Illustrate  the 
method: 


1  2  3 


L'exemplaire  filmA  fut  reproduit  grice  A  la 
ginirositi  de: 

University  of  Windsor 


Les  imeges  suivantes  ont  iti  reproduites  avec  le 
plus  grand  soln,  compte  tenu  de  la  condition  at 
de  la  nettet*  de  l'exemplaire  film*,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
fllmage. 

Les  exemplaires  orlginaux  dont  la  couverture  en 
papier  est  Imprimte  sont  fiimis  en  commen^ant 
par  le  premier  plat  et  en  termlnant  soit  par  la 
dernlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impresslon  ou  d'illustration,  soit  par  le  second 
plat,  salon  le  cas.  Tous  las  autres  exemplaires 
orlginaux  sont  filmte  en  commenpant  par  la 
premlire  pege  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impresslon  ou  d'illustration  et  en  terminant  par 
la  dernlAre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 

Un  dee  symboles  sulvants  apparaltra  sur  la 
dernlAre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbols  >^  signlfie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbols  V  signlfie  "FIN". 

Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc..  peuvent  Atre 
film^e  i  des  taux  de  reduction  diffirents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  Atre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  clich4, 11  est  film*  k  partir 
da  Tangle  supArleur  gauche,  de  gauche  A  drolte, 
et  de  haut  en  baa,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'Images  nAcessaira.  Les  diagrammes  sulvants 
illustrent  la  mAthode. 


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2 

3 

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HEACH  THE  NORTH  POLE. 


,E',^.1?^ltV,  C4.fl.  R.N.,  FH.S. 


11^  TWO  TOtUMES. 
VOL.  i. 


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FROM   THE 


ATLANTIC  TO  THE  PACIFIC, 


4 


AMD   NARRATIVE  OF 


AN  ATTEMPT  TO  REACH  THE  NORTH  POLE. 


BY 


SIR  W.  E.  PARRY,  CAPT.  R.N.,  F.R.S. 


IN    TWO     VOLUMES. 
VOL.     I. 


NEW-YORK: 

HARPER  &   BROTHERS,  82  CLIFF-STREET. 


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.P37 

V.  1 

Entered,  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1840,  by 

Harper  &  Brothers, 
In  the  Clerk's  Office  of.  the  Southern  District  of  New-York. 


I 


r^ 


publishers'  avdertisement. 


The  two  volumes  herewith  presented  to  the 
public  contain  an  uninterrupted  narrative,  in 
Captain  Parry's  own  words,  of  the  five  voyages 
made  by  that  distinguished  navigator,  under  the 
sanction  of  the  British  government,  in  search  of 
a  passage  from  the  eastern  to  the  western  side 
of  the  American  Continent,  through  the  Arctic 
Ocean.  Although  abbreviated,  the  curtailment 
has  been  effected,  not  by  any  change  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  original  writer,  but  merely  by  omit- 
ting all  such  details  as  were  not  inviting  to  the 
general  reader ;  and.  in  a  word,  changing  the 
character  of  the  work  ^Vom  that  of  an  official  re- 
port to  that  of  a  narrative.  The  effort  has  been 
to  preserve  all  interesting  and  amusing  particu- 
lars ;  to  record  all  facts  and  transactions  of  im- 
portance; to  present  an  accurate  though  brief 
notice  of  all  valuable  accessions  to  geographic 
as  well  as  general  knowledge,  effected  in  the 
progress  of  the  voyages;  and,  at  the  same  time, 


IV 


publishers'  advertisement. 


to  keep  the  reader's  attention  ever  on  the  alert 
by  the  rapid  and  uninterrupted  succession  of  stri- 
king incidents. 

It  is  hoped  that  the  aim  here  designated  has 
been  accompHshed ;  and  that,  in  the  abridged 
narrative  of  Parry's  Voyages,  there  will  be  found 
matter,  not  only  to  interest  the  reader  for  amuse- 
ment, but  also  to  improve.  The  scenes  and  ad- 
ventures recorded  by  the  navigator  are  in  the 
highest  degree  novel  and  remarkable;  and  it 
cannot  be  other  than  profitable  to  know  what 
perils  were  encountered,  what  courage,  firmness, 
and  ingenuity  were  displayed,  what  moral  and 
physical  influences  were  developed,  and  what 
triumphs  of  human  skill  were  achieved,  in  the 
progress  of  voyages  undertaken  solely  to  ad- 
vance the  interests  of  science. 

H.  &B. 

New-York,  May,  1840. 


I 
I 


CONTENTS 


or 


THE   FIRST  VOLUME. 


Introduction Page  13 

CHAPTER  I. 

Passage  across  the  Atlantic— Enter  Davis's  Strait.— Unsuc- 
cessful Attempt  to  penetrate  the  Ice  to  the  Western  Coast. — 
Voyage  up  the  Strait. — Passage  through  the  Ice  to  the  West- 
ern Coast. — Arrival  off  Possession  Bay,  on  the  southern  side 
of  the  entrance  into  Sir  James  Lancaster's  Sound  .       .    15 


CHAPTER  II 

Entrance  into  Sir  James  Lancaster's  Sound  of  Baffin. — Unin- 
terrupted Passage  to  the  Westward. — Discovery  and  Exami- 
nation of  Prince  Regent's  Inlet. — Progress  to  the  Southward 
stopped  by  Ice. — Return  to  the  Northward. — Pass  Barrow's 
Strait,  and  enter  the  Polar  Sea 29 


CHAPTER  III, 

Favourable  Appearances  of  an  open  Westerly  Passage.— Land 
to  the  Northward,  a  Series  of  Islands. — General  Appearance 
of  them. —  Meet  with  some  Obstruction  from  low  Islands 
surrounded  with  Ice. — Remains  of  Esquimaux  Huts,  and  nat- 
ural Productions  of  Byam  Martin  Island. — Tedious  Naviga- 
tion from  Fogs  and  Ice. — Difficulty  of  Steering  a  Proper 
Course, — Arrival  and  Landing  on  Melville  Island.— Proceed 
to  the  Westward,  and  reach  the  Meridian  of  110°  W.  Long., 
the  first  Stage  in  the  Scale  of  Rewards  granted  by  Act  of 
Parliament 43 


vi 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Further  Examination  of  Melville  Island. — Continuation  of  our 
Progress  to  the  Westward. — Long  detention  by  the  Ice.— Party 
sent  on  shore  to  hunt  Deer  and  Musk-oxen.— Return  in  three 
Days,  after  losing  their  way. — Anxiety  on  their  account. — Pro- 
ceed to  the  Westward  till  finally  stopped  by  the  Ice.— In  re- 
turning to  the  Eastward,  the  Griper  forced  on  the  Beach  by 
the  Ice. — Search  for,  and  Discovery  of,  a  Winter  Harbour  on 
Melville  Island. — Operations  for  securing  the  Ships  in  their 
Winter  Quarters Page  53 

CHAPTER  V. 

Precautions  for  securing  the  Ships  and  Stores. — For  promoting 
Good  Order,  Cleanliness,  Health,  and  Good-Humour  among 
the  Ships'  Companies. — Establishment  of  a  Theatre  and  of 
the  North  Georgia  Gazette. — Erection  of  an  Observatory  on 
Shore.— Commence  our  Winter's  Amusements.— State  of  the 
Temperature,  and  various  Meteorological  Phenomena. — Mis- 
cellaneous Occurrences  to  the  close  of  the  year  1819      .    65 

CHAPTER  VI. 

First  Appearance  of  Scurvy. — The  Aurora  Borealis  and  other 
Meteorological  Phenomena. — Visits  of  the  Wolves.— Reap- 
pearance of  the  Sun.— Extreme  low  Temperature. — Destruc 
tion  of  the  House  on  Shore  by  Fire. — Severe  Frostbites  occa 
sioned  by  this  Accident 88 


"*    .'i 
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r 


CHAPTER  VII. 

More  temperate  Weather. — House  rebuilt. — Quantity  of  Ice  col- 
lected on  the  Hecla's  lower  Deck.— Meterological  Phenome- 
na.— Conclusion  of  Theatrical  Entertainments.— Increased 
Sickness  on  board  the  Griper. — Clothes  first  dried  in  the  open 
Air. — Remarkable  Halos  and  Parhelia. — Snow  Blindness. — 
Cutting  the  Ice  round  the  Ships,  and  other  Occurrences  to  the 
close  of  May 99 


CHAPTER  Vni. 

Journey  across  Melville  Island  to  the  Northern  Shore,  and  Re- 
turn to  the  Ships  by  a  dififerent  Route     .        .        .       .110 


•r        i    ' 


CONTENTS. 


VII 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Occurrences  at  Winter  Harbour  in  the  early  part  of  June- 
Gradual  Dissolution  of  the  Ice  upon  the  Sea  and  of  the  Snow 
upon  the  Land. — Decease  and  Burial  of  Wilham  Scott. — 
Equipment  of  the  Ships  completed. — Temperate  Weather  du- 
ring the  Month  of  July. — Breaking  up  of  the  Ice  near  the 
Ships. — Move  to  the  lower  part  of  the  Harbour. — Separation 
of  the  Ice  at  the  Entrance. — Prepare  to  Sail. — Abstract  of 
Observations  made  in  Winter  Harbour  .        .        .  Page  128 

CHAPTER  X. 

Leave  Winter  Harbour. — Flattering  Appearance  of  the  Sea  to 
the  Westward. — Stopped  by  the  Ice  near  Cape  Hay. — Farther 
Progress  to  the  Longitude  of  I13o  48'  22  5'',  being  the  West- 
ernmost Meridian  hitherto  reached  in  the  Polar  Sea,  to  the 
North  of  America. — Banks's  Land  discovered. — Increased  Ex- 
tent and  Dimensions  of  the  Ice.— Return  to  the  Eastward,  to 
endeavour  to  penetrate  the  Ice  to  the  Southward. — Re-enter 
Barrow's  Strait,  and  Survey  its  South  Coast. — Pass  through 
Sir  James  Lancaster's  Sound  on  our  Return  to  England  141 

CHAPTER  XL 

Progress  down  the  Western  Coast  of  Baffin's  Bay. — Meet  with 
the  Whalers. — Account  of  some  Esquimaux  in  the  Inlet  call- 
ed the  River  Clyde. — Continue  the  Survey  of  the  Coast  till 
stopped  by  Ice  in  the  Latitude  of  68^°.— Obliged  to  run  to  the 
Eastward. — Fruitless  Attempts  to  regain  the  Land,  and  final 
Departure  from  the  Ice. — Remarks  upon  the  probable  Exist- 
ence and  Practicability  of  a  Northwest  Passage,  and  upon 
the  Whale  Fishery.— Boisterous  Weather  in  Crossing  the  At- 
lantic—Loss of  the  Hecla's  Bowsprit  and  Foremast.— Arri- 
val in  England 168 


le 
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le- 


SECOND    VOYAGE. 

Preliminary  Chapter Page  193 

CHAPTER  I. 

Passage  across  the  Atlantic — Removal  of  Stores  from  the 
Nautilus  Transport,  at  the  Margin  of  the  Ice.— Departure  of 


via 


CONTENTS. 


the  Nautilus  for  England.— Enter  the  Ice  in  Hudson's  Strait. 
—Perilous  Situation  of  the  Hecla,  and  loss  of  her  Anchor. — 
Meet  with  the  Hudson's  Bay  Ships.— Passage  up  the  Strait, 
and  Communication  with  the  Natives  inhabiting  the  North- 
em  Shores.— Pass  the  Trinity  Islands  of  Fox.— Arrival  off 
Southampton  Island,  where  the  Researches  of  the  Expedi- 
tion commence Page  194 

CHAPTER  II. 

Review  of  the  Geographical  Information  obtained  by  the  Re- 
searches of  former  Navigators  on  the  Coast  of  the  American 
Continent,  in  the  Neighbourhood  of  Wager  River.— Discover 
and  enter  the  Duke  of  York's  Bay,  supposing  it  to  be  a  Passage 
into  the  Sea  called  the  Welcome.— Leave  the  Duke  of  York's 
Bay,  and  proceed  to  the  Northwestward.— Passage  of  the  Fro- 
zen Strait  and  Arrival  in  Repulse  Bay.— Continuity  of  Land 
there. — Observations  on  Shore. — Remarks  concerning  the  Ge- 
ography, Tides,  and  Natural  History  of  this  part  of  the  Conti- 
nental Coast 202 


II 


CHAPTER  III. 

Return  to  the  Eastward  through  the  Frc/zen  Strait.— Discovery 
of  Hurd  Channel. — Examined  in  a  Boat. — Loss  of  the  Fury's 
Anchor. — Providential  Escape  of  the  Furjr  from  Shipwreck. — 
Anchor  in  Duckett  Cove.— Farther  Examination  of  the  Coast 
by  Boats  and  Walking-parties. — Ships  proceed  through  Hurd 
Channel. — Are  drifted  by  the  Ice  back  to  Southampton  Isl- 
and.—Unobstructed  run  to  the  entrance  of  a  large  Inlet  lead- 
ing to  the  Northwestward. — Ships  made  fast  by  Hawsers  to 
the  Rocks.— Farther  Examination  of  the  Inlet  commenced  in 
the  Boats 209 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Hoppner's  Inlet  entered  and  surveyed  by  the  Boats.— Continuity 
of  Land  there  d?t'^rmined. — Proceed  to  examine  another  Open- 
ing leading  to  the  Westward. — Favouarble  Appearance  of  a 
continued  Passage  in  that  direction. — Meet  with  some  Esqui- 
maux.— Arrival  in  Ross  Bay,  being  the  termination  of  Lyon 
Inlet. — Discovery  and  Examination  of  various  Creeks. — Re- 
turn to  the  Ships,  after  finding  the  Land  entirely  continuous. — 
Some  Account  of  the  Natural  History  of  this  part  of  the 
Coast 220 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  V. 

Farther  Examination  in  the  Boats  for  the  purpose  of  Connecting 
the  shores  of  Lyon  Inlet  with  that  of  Gore  Bay.—  Continuity 
of  the  Land  determined. — Fresh  Detention  by  the  Ice.— Boats 
carried  over  Land. — Return  to  the  Ships. — Progress  out  of  the 
Inlet  prevented  by  the  Ice. — The  Fury  grounds  upon  a  Rock. 
— Anchor  in  Safety  Cove. — Heavy  Easterly  gales. — Proceed 
out  of  the  Inlet. — Arrival  in  a  Bay  on  the  south  side  of  Winter 
Island.— Ships  secured  in  Winter-quarters     .        .  Page  228 


'8 


ty 

in- 


le 
JO 


CHAPTER  VL 

Precautions  for  the  Security  of  the  Ships  and  their  Stores — 
And  for  the  Health  and  Comfort  of  the  Crews.— Establish- 
ment of  Theatrical  Entertainments  and  Schools. — Erection 
of  an  Observatory  and  House  on  Shore.— State  of  Health  a*- 
this  Period.— Partial  Disruption  of  the  Ice  in  the  Bay.— An- 
chors  and  Cables  taken  to  the  Shore. — Gradual  Increase  of 
Cold,  Appearance  of  the  Aurora  Boreal  is  on  several  Occa- 
sions, and  various  other  Meteorological  Phenomena  to  the 
Close  of  the  year  1821 234 

CHAPTER  Vir. 

Many  Foxes  caught. — Continued  Open  Water  in  the  Offing. — 
Partial  Disruption  of  the  Ice  in  the  Bay, — Meteorological  Phe- 
nomena, and  Temperature  of  Animals. — Arrival  of  a  Tribe  of 
Esquimaux.— First  Meeting  and  subsequent  Intercourse  with 
them— Esquimaux  in  Want  of  Provisions.— Supplied  with 
BreaJ-dnst. — Some  Account  of  a  Sealing  Excursion  with 
them.— Fresh  Disruption  of  the  Ice  in  the  Bay. — Closing  of 
the  Winter  Theatre.— Meteorological  Phenomena  till  the  end 
of  February,  1822 246 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

A  Journey  performed  across  Winter  Island. — Sufferings  of  the 
Party  by  Frost.— Departure  of  some  of  the  Esquimaux,  and 
a  separate  Village  established  on  the  Ice. — Various  Meteoro- 
logical Phenomena  — Okotook  and  his  Wife  brought  on  board. 
— Anecdotes  relating  to  them.— Ships  released  from  the  Ice 
by  sawing 281 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Increased  Extent  of  open  Water  in  the  Offing.— A  Travelling 
Party  despatched  to  the  Northward. — Unsuccessful  attempt 
to  raise  Vegetables  on  shore.— Decease  of  James  Pringle. — 
A  Party  of  Esquimaux  build  Huts  near  the  Ships. — Return 
of  the  Travellers,  and  account  of  their  Journey. — First  Ap- 
pearance of  the  Plants. — Birds  become  numerous. — Com- 
mence cutting  a  Canal  through  the  Ice  for  liberating  the 
Ships. — Illness  and  Decease  of  John  Reid  and  William  Sou- 
ter. — Breaking  up  of  the  Ice  in  the  Bay. — Account  of  Winter 
Island. — Abstract  of  Observations  made  there        .  Page  309 


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I 


TECHNICAL   TERMS 


PECULIAR  TO   THE  NAVIGATION  AMONG  ICE. 


Bay-ice. — Ice  newly  formed  upon  the  surface  of  the  sea.  The 
expression  is,  however,  applied  also  to  ice  a  foot  or  two  in 
thickness. 

Besbt. — The  situation  of  a  ship  when  closely  surrounded  by  ice. 

Bight.— An  indentation  in  a  floe  of  ice,  like  a  bay,  by  which 
name  it  is  sometimes  called. 

Blink. — A  peculiar  brightness  in  the  atmosphere,  often  assuming 
an  arch-hke  form,  which  is  generally  perceptible  over  ice  or 
land  covered  with  snow.  The  blink  of  land,  as  well  as  that 
over  large  quantities  of  ice,  is  usually  of  a  yellowish  cast. 

Bore. — The  operation  of  "  boring"  through  loose  ice  consists  in 
entering  it  under  a  press  of  sau,  and  forcing  the  ship  through 
by  separating  the  masses. 

Calf. — A  mass  of  ice  lying  under  a  floe  near  its  margin,  and, 
when  disengaged  from  that  position,  rising  with  violence  to 
the  surface  of  the  water.    See  Tongue. 

Clear  Water. — Any  part  of  the  sea  unencumbered  with  ice. 

Crow's  Nest. — A  small  circular  house  like  a  cask,  flxed  at  the 
masthead,  in  which  the  look-out  man  sits,  either  to  guide  th^ 
ship  through  the  ice  or  to  give  notice  of  whales. 

Dock.— In  a  floe  may  be  natural  or  artificial ;  the  former  being 
simply  a  small  "  bight,"  in  which  a  ship  is  placed  to  secure 
her  from  the  danger  of  external  pressure ;  and  the  latter,  a 
square  space  cut  out  with  saws  for  a  similar  purpose. 

Field. — A  sheet  of  ice  generally  of  great  thickness,  and  of  too 
great  extent  to  be  seen  over  from  a  ship's  masthead. 

Flinching. — The  operation  of  stripping  a  sea-animal  of  its  skin 
and  blubber. 

Floe.— The  same  as  a  field,  except  that  its  extent  can  be  dis- 
tinguished from  a  ship's  masthead.  A  "  bay-floe"  is  a  floe  of 
ice  newly  formed. 

Floe-pieob. — An  expression  generally  applied  to  small  pieces 
of  floes,  not  more  than  a  furlong  square. 

A  Hole  or  Pool  of  Water. — A  small  space  of  "  clear  water," 
when  the  rest  of  the  sea  is  covered  with  ice. 

Hummock.— A  mass  of  ice  rising  to  a  considerable  height  above 


12 


i<  I 


♦    TECHNICAL   TERMS. 

1^ 


the  general  level  of  a  floe,  and  forming  a  part  of  it.  Hum- 
mocks are  originally  raised  by  the  pressure  of  floes  against 
each  other. 

Land-ics. — Ice  attached  to  the  land,  either  in  floes  or  in  heavy 
grounded  masses  lying  near  the  shore. 

Lane  of  Water. — A  narrow  channe)  among  the  masses  of  ice, 
through  which  a  boat  or  ship  may  pass. 

Lead. — A  channel  through  the  ice.  A  ship  is  said  to  "  take  the 
right  lead"  when  she  follows  a  channel  conducting  her  mto  a 
more  navigable  sea,  and  vice  versa. 

Making-off  Blubber. — The  operation  of  putting  it  into  casks. 

MippED. — The  situation  of  a  ship  when  forcibly  pressed  by  ice. 

Pack. — A  large  body  of  ice,  consisting  of  separate  masses,  lying 
close  together,  and  whose  extent  cannot  be  seen. 

Pancake  ice. — Newly  formed  ice,  assuming  the  peculiar  con- 
formation of  numberless  patches  of  "  sludge,"  and  giving  the 
surface  of  the  sea  the  appearance  of  a  handsome  pavement. 

Patch  of  Ice. — The  same  as  a  pack,  but  of  small  dnnensions. 

Saili NO-ICE. — Ice  of  which  the  masses  are  so  much  separated 
as  to  allow  a  ship  to  sail  among  them. 

Sallying  a  Ship. — The  operation  of  causing  her  to  roll,  by  the 
men  running  in  a  body  from  side  to  side,  so  as  to  relieve  her 
from  the  adhesion  and  friction  of  the  young  ice  around  her. 

Sludge. — Ice  of  the  consistence  of  thick  honey,  offering  little 
impediment  to  a  ship  while  m  this  state,  but  greatly  favouring 
the  formation  of  a  "  bay -floe." 

Stream. — A  long  and  narrow,  but  generally  continuous,  collec- 
tion of  loose  ice. 

Tongue.— A  mass  of  ice  projecting  under  water  from  an  iceberg 
or  floe,  and  generally  distinguishable  at  a  considerable  depth 
of  smooth  water,  it  differs  from  a  *'  calf"  in  being  flxed  to, 
or  a  part  of,  the  larger  body. 

Watek-sky. — A  daik  appearance  in  the  sky,  indicating  "  clear 
water"  in  that  direction,  and  forming  a  striking  contrast  with 
the  "  blink"  over  land  or  ice. 

You  NO-ICE. — Nearly  the  same  as  "  bay-ice,"  but  generally  ap- 
plied to  ice  more  recently  formed  than  the  latter. 


'1 


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VOYAGE 


FOR  THE   DISCOV&kY   OP   A 


NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


•;4 


clear 
with 

ily  ap- 


INTRODUCTION. 

Lieutenant  Parry  was  appointed  to  the  com- 
mand  of  his  majesty's  ship  the  Hecla,  a  bomb  of 
375  tons,  on  the  16th  of  January,  1819  ;  and  the 
Griper,  gun  brig,  180  tons,  commissioned  by  Lieu- 
tenant Matthew  Liddon,  was  at  the  same  time  di- 
rected to  put  herself  under  his  orders.  The  object 
of  the  expedition  was  to  attempt  the  discovery  of 
a  Northwest  Passage  into  the  Pacific.  The  ves- 
sels were  rigged  after  the  manner  of  a  bark,  as 
being  the  most  convenient  among  the  ice,  and  re- 
quiring the  smallest  number  of  men  to  work  them. 
They  were  furnished  with  provisions  and  stores  for 
two  years  ;  in  addition  to  which,  there  was  a  large 
supply  of  fresh  meats  and  soups  preserved  in  tin 
cases,  essence  of  malt  and  hops,  essence  of  spruce, 
and  other  extra  stores,  adapted  to  cold  climates  and 
a  long  voyage.  The  ships  were  ballasted  entirely 
with  coals ;  an  abundance  of  warm  clothing  was 
allowed,  a  wolfskin  blanket  being  supplied  to  each 
officer  and  man,  besides  a  housing-cloth,  similar  to 
that  with  which  wagons  are  usually  covered,  to  make 

Vol.  L-B 


1 


14 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


a  sort  of  tent  on  board.  Although  the  finding  a 
passage  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  was  the 
main  object  of  the  expedition,  yet  the  ascertaining 
many  points  of  natural  history,  geography,  &c., 
was  considered  a  most  important  object,  never  to 
be  lost  sight  of.  After  they  had  passed  the  latitude 
of  65°  north,  they  were  from  time  to  time  to  throw 
overboard  a  bottle,  closely  sealed,  containing  a 
paper,  stating  the  date  and  position  at  which  it  was 
launched.  Whenever  they  landed  on  the  northern 
coast  of  North  America,  they  were  to  erect  a  pole, 
having  a  flag,  and  bury  a  bottle  at  the  foot  of  it, 
containing  an  abstract  of  their  proceedings  and  fu- 
ture intentions,  for  the  information  of  Lieutenant 
Franklin,  who  had  been  sent  on  a  land  expedition 
to  explore  that  coast  from  the  mouth  of  the  Copper- 
mine River  of  Hearne. 

According  to  the  official  instructions,  the  inter- 
ests of  science  were  not  neglected,  and  mariy  im- 
portant facts  were  made  out ;  among  the  most 
curious,  it  may  be  mentioned,  that  it  appears  to  bo 
proved  that  the  North  Pole  is  not  the  coldest  point 
of  the  Arctic  hemisphere,  but  that  the  place  where 
the  expedition  wintered  is  one  of  the  coldest  spots 
on  the  face  of  the  globe. 


I 


> 


4 


J 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


15 


CHAPTER  L 


Passage  across  the  Atlantic. — Enter  Davis's  Strait. — Unsuc- 
cessful Attempt  to  penetrate  the  Ice  to  the  Western  Coast. — 
Voyage  up  the  Strait. — Passage  through  the  Ice  to  the  West- 
ern Coast. — Arrival  off  Possession  Bay,  on  the  southern  side 
of  the  entrance  into  Sir  James  Lancaster's  Sound. 

In  the  beginning  of  May,  1819,  the  Hecla  and 
Griper  were  towed  down  the  river  ;  the  guns  and 
gunner's  stores  were  received  on  board  on  the  6th ; 
and  the  instruments  and  chronometers  were  em- 
barked on  the  evening  of  the  8th,  when  the  two 
ships  anchored  at  the  Nore.  The  Griper,  being  a 
slower  sailer,  was  occasionally  taken  in  tow  by  the 
Hecla,  and  they  rounded  the  northern  point  of  the 
Orkneys,  at  the  distance  of  two  miles  and  a  half, 
on  Thursday,  the  20th  of  the  same  month. 

Nothing  of  moment  occurred  for  several  days ; 
but  the  wind  veered  to  the  westward  on  the  30th, 
and  increased  to  a  fresh  gale,  with  an  irregular 
sea  and  heavy  rain,  which  brought  us  under  our 
close-reefed  topsails.  At  half  past  one,  P.M.,  we 
began  to  cross  the  space  in  which  the  "  Sunken 
Land  of  Buss"  is  laid  down  in  Steel's  chart  from 
England  to  Greenland ;  and,  in  the  course  of  this 
and  the  following  day,  we  tried  for  soundings  sev- 
eral times  without  success. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  the  18th  of  June,  in 
standing  to  the  northward,  we  fell  in  with  the  first 
<*  stream"  of  ice  we  had  seen,  and  soon  after  saw 


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16 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


several  icebergs.  At  daylight  the  water  had 
changed  its  colour  to  a  dirty  brownish  tinge.  The 
temperature  of  the  water  was  36i,  being  3®  colder 
than  on  the  preceding  night ;  a  decrease  that  was 
probably  occasioned  by  our  approach  to  the  ice. 
We  ran  through  a  narrow  part  of  the  stream,  and 
found  the  ice  beyond  it  to  be  "  packed"  and  heavy. 
The  birds  were  more  numerous  than  usual ;  and, 
besides  the  fulmar  peterels,  boatswains,  and  kitti- 
wakes,  we  saw,  for  the  first  time,  some  rotges, 
dovekies,  or  black  guillemots,  and  terns,  the  latter 
known  best  to  seamen  by  the  name  of  the  Green- 
land swallow.  '  ^ 

On  the  clearing  up  of  a  fog  on  the  morning  of 
the  24th,  we  saw  a  long  chain  of  icebergs,  extend- 
ing several  miles  in  a  N.b.W.  and  S.b.E.  direc- 
tion ;  and,  as  we  approached  them,  we  found  a 
quantity  of  "  floe-ice"  intermixed  with  them,  be- 
yond which,  to  the  westward,  nothing  but  ice  could 
be  seen.  At  noon  we  had  soundings,  with  one 
hundred  and  twenty  fathoms  of  line,  on  a  bottom 
of  fine  sand,  which  makes  it  probable  that  most  of 
the  icebergs  were  aground  in  this  place.  In  the 
afternoon  we  sailed  within  the  edge  of  the  ice,  as 
much  as  a  light  westerly  wind  would  admit,  in  or- 
der to  approach  the  western  land.  Some  curious 
effects  of  atmospheric  refraction  were  observed 
this  evening,  the  low  ice  being  at  times  consider- 
ably raised  in  the  horizon,  and  constantly  altering 
its  appearance. 

The  weather  being  nearly  calm  on  the  morning 
of  the  25th,  all  the  boats  were  kept  ahead,  to  tow 
the  ships  through  the  ice  to  the  westward.  It  re- 
mained tolerably  open  till  four  P.M.,  when  a  breezci 


-m 
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OP  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


17 


freshening  up  from  the  eastward,  caused  the  ice, 
through  which  we  had  lately  been  towing,  to  close 
together  so  rapidly,  that  we  had  scarcely  time  to 
hoist  up  the  boats  before  the  ships  were  immova- 
bly "  beset."  The  clear  sea  which  we  had  left  was 
about  four  miles  to  the  eastward  of  us,  while  to  the 
westward  nothing  but  one  extensive  field  of  ice 
could  be  seen.  It  is  impossible  to  conceive  a  more 
helpless  situation  than  that  of  a  ship  thus  beset, 
when  all  the  power  that  can  be  applied  will  not 
alter  the  direction  of  her  head  a  single  degree  of 
the  compass. 

A  large  black  whale,  being  the  first,  was  seen 
near  the  ships.  It  is  usual  for  these  animals  to 
descend  head  foremost,  displaying  the  broad  fork 
of  their  enormous  tail  above  the  surface  of  the 
water ;  but,  on  this  occasion,  the  ice  was  so  close 
as  not  to  admit  of  this  mode  of  descent,  and  the 
fish  went  down  tail  foremost,  to  the  great  amuse- 
ment of  our  Greenland  sailors. 

While  in  this  state  a  large  white  bear  came  near 
the  Griper,  and  was  killed  by  her  people,  but  he 
sunk  between  the  pieces  of  ice.  TMs  animal  had 
probably  been  attracted  by  the  smell  of  some  red 
herrings  which  the  men  were  frying  at  the  time. 
It  is  a  common  practice  with  the  Greenland  sailors 
to  take  advantage  of  the  strong  sense  of  smelling 
which  these  creatures  possess,  by  enticing  them 
near  the  ships  in  this  manner. 

The  swell  had  somewhat  subsided  on  the  29th, 
but  the  ships  remained  firmly  fixed  in  the  ice  as 
before.  In  the  course  of  the  day  we  saw  land 
bearing  N.  69°  W.  about  thirteen  leagues  distant, 
appearing  from  the  masthead  like  a  group  of  isl- 


■r    "f 


18 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


'■^ 


1^ 


t' 


i 


ands,  and  situated  near  to  the  entrance  of  Cum- 
berland Strait :  the  soundings  were  one  hundred 
and  thirty-five  fathoms;  the  temperature  of  the 
sea  at  that  depth  30°  ;  that  of  the  surface  being 
the  same,  and  of  the  air  34°.  On  the  30th  the 
ice  began  to  slacken  a  little  more  about  the  ships ; 
and,  after  two  hours'  heaving  with  a  hawser  on 
each  bow  brought  to  the  capstan  and  windlass,  we 
succeeded  in  moving  the  Hecla  about  her  own 
length  to  the  eastward,  where  alone  any  clear  sea 
was  visible.  The  ice  continuing  to  open  still  more 
in  the  course  of  the  day,  we  were  at  length  en- 
abled to  get  both  ships  into  open  water,  after  eight 
hours'  incessant  labour. 

On  the  1st  and  2d  of  July,  we  continued  to  keep 
close  to  the  edge  of  the  ice  without  perceiving  any 
opening  in  it.  Its  outer  margin  consisted  of  heavy 
detached  masses,  much  washed  by  the  sea,  and 
formed  what  is  technically  called  "a  pack,"  this 
name  being  given  to  ice  when  so  closely  connected 
as  not  to  admit  the  passage  of  a  ship  between  the 
masses.  Within  the  margin  of  Ihe  pack,  it  ap- 
peared to  c«lisist  of  heavy  and  extensive  floes, 
having  a  bright  ice-blink  over  them  ;  but  no  clear 
water  could  be  discovered  to  the  westward.  The 
birds,  which  had  hitherto  been  seen  since  our  first 
approach  to  the  ice,  were  fulmar  peterels,  little  auks, 
looms,  and  a  few  gulls. 

On  the  morning  of  the  3d  the  wind  blew  strong 
from  the  eastward,  with  a  short,  breaking  sea,  and 
thick,  rainy  weather,  which  made  our  situation  for 
some  hours  rather  an  unpleasant  one,  the  ice  being 
close  under  our  lee.  Fortunately,  however,  we 
weathered  it  by  stretching  back  a  few  miles  to  the 


* 


W: 


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•       ''""Mil  I* 

OP  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


19 


Cum. 
iridred 
of  the 
being 
th  the 
ships ; 
ser  on 
Lss,  we 
r  own 
;ar  sea 
II  more 
rth  en- 
ir  eight 

to  keep 
ing  any 
f  heavy 
3a,  and 
;'  this 
inected 
leen  the 
it  ap- 
floes, 
o  clear 
The 
lur  first 
[le  auks, 

strong 
lea,  and 
Ition  for 
je  being 

rer,  we 
ks  to  the 


southward.  In  the  afternoon  the  wind  moderated, 
and  we  tacked  again  to  the  northward,  crossing 
the  Arctic  circle  at  four  P.M.,  in  the  longitude  of 
57°  27'  W.  We  passed  at  least  fifty  icebergs  in 
the  course  of  the  day,  many  of  them  of  large  di- 
mensions. Towards  midnight,  the  wind  having 
shifted  to  the  southwest  and  moderated,  another 
extensive  chain  of  very  large  icebergs  appeared  to 
the  northward :  as  we  approached  them  the  wind 
died  away,  and  the  ships'  heads  were  kept  to  the 
northward,  only  by  the  steerage  way  given  to  them 
by  a  heavy  southerly  swell,  which,  dashing  the 
loose  ice  with  tremendous  force  against  the  bergs, 
sometimes  raised  a  white  spray  over  the  latter  to 
the  height  of  more  than  one  hundred  feet,  and,  be- 
ing accompanied  with  a  loud  noise,  exactly  re- 
sembling the  roar  of  distant  thunder,  presented  a 
scene  at  once  sublime  and  terrific.  We  could  find 
no  bottom  near  these  icebergs  with  one  hundred 
and  ten  fathoms  of  line. 

At  four  A.M.  on  the  4th  we  came  to  a  quantity 
of  loose  ice,  which  lay  straggling  among  the  bergs  ; 
and  as  there  was  a  light  breeze  from  the  southward, 
and  I  was  anxious  to  avoid,  if  possible,  the  necessi- 
ty of  going  to  the  eastward,  I  pushed  the  Hecla 
into  the  ice,  in  the  hope  of  being  able  to  make  our 
way  through  it.  We  had  scarcely  done  so,  how- 
ever, before  it  fell  calm ;  when  the  ship  became 
perfectly  unmanageable,  and  was  for  some  time  at 
the  mercy  of  the  swell,  which  drifted  us  fast  to- 
wards the  bergs.  All  the  boats  were  immediately 
sent  ahead  to  tow;  and  the  Griper's  signal  was 
made  not  to  enter  the  ice.  After  two  hours'  hard 
pulling,  we  succeeded  in  getting  the  Hecla  back 


J 


20 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


1 


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■  r 


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again  into  clear  water,  and  to  a  sufficient  distance 
from  the  icebergs,  which  it  is  very  dangerous  to 
approach  when  there  is  a  swell.  At  noon  we  were 
in  lat.  69°  50'  47",  long.  57°  07'  56'',  being  near 
the  middle  of  the  narrowest  part  of  Davis's  Strait, 
which  is  here  not  more  than  fifty  leagues  across. 

On  the  5th  it  was  necessary  to  pass  through 
some  heavy  streams  of  ice,  in  order  to  avoid  the 
loss  of  time  by  going  round  to  the  eastward.  On 
this,  as  on  many  other  occasions,  the  advantage 
possessed  by  a  ship  of  considerable  weight  in  the 
water,  in  separating  the  heavy  masses  of  ice,  was 
very  apparent.  In  some  of  the  streams  through 
which  the  Hecla  passed,  a  vessel  of  a  hundred  tons 
less  burden  must  have  been  immovably  beset.  The 
Griper  was  on  this  and  many  other  occasions  only 
enabled  to  follow  the  Hecla  by  taking  advantage 
of  the  openings  made  by  the  latter. 

A  herd  of  seahorses  being  seen  lying  on  a  piece 
of  ice,  our  boat  succeeded  in  killing  one  of  them. 
These  animals  usually  lie  huddled  together  like 
pigs,  one  over  the  other,  and  are  so  stupidly  tame 
as  to  allow  a  boat  to  approach  them  within  a  few 
yards  without  moving.  When  at  length  they  are 
disturbed,  they  dash  into  the  water  in  great  confu- 
sion. It  may  be  worth  remarking,  as  a  proof  how 
tenacious  the  walrus  sometimes  is  of  life,  that  the 
animal  killed  to-day  struggled  violently  for  ten 
minutes  after  it  was  struck,  and  towed  the  boat 
twenty  or  thirty  yards,  after  which  the  iron  of  the 
harpoon  broke ;  and  yet  it  was  found,  on  examina- 
tion, that  the  iron  barb  had  penetrated  both  auri- 
cles of  the  heart.  A  quantity  of  the  blubber  was 
put  into  casks,  as  a  winter's  supply  of  lamp-oil. 


■  %;v 


¥ 


V 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


ftl 


tance 
us  to 
were 
near 
Strait, 
ross. 
rough 
id  the 
,     On 
intage 
in  the 
3,  was 
irough 
id  tons 
The 
iS  only 
gintage 

I  piece 
them. 

like 
tame 
a  few 
y  are 
onfu- 
f  how 
t  the 
r  ten 

boat 

f  the 
mina- 

auri- 
r  was 

11.    . 


A  large  bear  being  seen  on  a  piece  of  ice,  near  ' 
which  we  were  passing  on  the  10th,  a  boat  was  de- 
spatched in  pursuit,  and  our  people  succeeded  in 
killing  and  towing  it  on  board.  As  these  animals 
sink  immediately  on  being  mortally  wounded,  some 
dexterity  is  requisite  to  secure  them,  by  first  throw- 
ing a  rope  over  the  neck,  at  which  many  of  the 
Greenland  seamen  are  remarkably  expert.  It  is 
customary  for  the  boats  of  the  whalers  to  have  two 
or  three  lines  coiled  in  them,  which  not  only  gives 
them  great  stability,  but,  with  good  management, 
makes  it  difficult  for  a  bear,  when  swimming,  to 
put  his  paw  upon  the  gunwale,  which  they  gen- 
erally endeavour  to  do  ;  whereas,  with  our  boats, 
which  are  more  light  and  crank,  and  therefore 
very  easily  heeled  over,  I  have  more  than  once 
seen  a  bear  on  the  point  of  taking  possession  of 
them.  Great  caution  should  therefore  be  used 
under  such  circumstances  in  attacking  these  fero- 
cious creatures.  We  have  always  found  a  board- 
ing-pike the  most  useful  weapon  for  this  purpose. 
The  lance  used  by  the  whalers  will  not  easily  pen- 
etrate the  skin,  and  a  musket-ball,  except  when 
very  close,  is  scarcely  more  efficacious. 

On  the  17th,  the  margin  of  the  ice  appearing 
more  open  than  we  had  yet  seen  it,  and  there  being 
some  appearance  of  a  "  water-sky"  to  the  north- 
west, I  was  induced  to  run  the  ships  into  the  ice, 
though  the  weather  was  too  thick  to  allow  us  to  see 
more  than  a  mile  or  two  in  that  direction.  We 
were,  at  noon,  in  latitude  72°  00'  21",  longitude  59^ 
43'  04",  the  depth  of  water  being  one  hundred  and 
fathoms,  on  a  muddy  bottom.     The  wind 


nmety 


shortly  after  died  away,  as  usual,  and,  after  ma 


■^-  ^ 


,  .#  " 


€ 


ill 


i   I 


i 


'  Hlj 


If' 


k 


f 


1 


I' 


' 


1 


^^m 


1^2 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


king  a  number  tacks,  in  order  to  gain  all  we  could 
to  the  westward,  we  found  ourselves  so  closely 
hemmed  in  by  the  ice  on  every  side,  that  there  was 
no  longer  room  to  work  the  ships,  and  we  there- 
fore made  them  fast  to  a  floe  till  the  weather  should 
clear  up.  The  afternoon  was  employed  in  taking 
on  board  a  supply  of  water  from  the  floe.  It  may  ^ 
be  proper  at  once  to  remark  that,  from  this  time  : 
till  the  end  of  the  voyage,  snow-water  was  exclu- 
sively  made  use  of  on  board  the  ships  for  every 
purpose.  During  the  summer  months,  it  is  found 
in  abundance  in  the  pools  upon  the  floes  and  ice- 
bergs ;  and  in  the  winter,  snow  was  dissolved  in 
the  coppers  for  our  daily  consumption.  The  fog 
cleared  away  in  the  evening,  when  we  perceived 
that  no  farther  progress  could  be  made  through  the 
ice,  into  which  v/e  sailed  to  the  westward  about 
twelve  miles.  We  were  therefore  once  more  un- 
der the  necessity  of  returning  to  the  eastward,  lest 
a  change  of  wind  should  beset  the  ships  in  their 
present  situation. 

A  thick  fog  came  on  again  at  night,  and  prevailed 
till  near  noon  on  the  18th,  when  we  came  to  a  close 
but  narrow  stream  of  ice,  lying  exactly  across  our 
course,  and  at  right  angles  to  the  main  body  of  the 
ice.  As  this  stream  extended  to  the  eastward  as 
far  as  we  could  see  from  the  "  crow's  nest,"  an  en- 
deavour was  made  to  push  the  ships  with  all  sail 
through  the  narrowest  part.  The  facility  with 
which  this  operation,  technically  called  "  boring," 
is  performed,  depends  chiefly  on  having  a  fresh 
and  free  wind,  with  which  we  were  not  favoured 
on  this  occasion ;  so  that,  when  we  had  forced  the 
ships  about  one  hundred  yards  into  the  ice,  their 


I 


■4 


'if 


4 


*:^  . 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


23 


3  could 
closely 
ire  was 
there- 
should 
taking 
It  may  . 
is  time  ' 
I  exclu- 
r  every 
s  found 
sind  ice- 
Dived  in 
The  fog 
erceived 
3ugh  the 
rd  about 
lore  un- 
ard,  lest 
in  their 

irevailed 
a  close 
ross  our 
y  of  the 
ward  as 
an  en- 
all  sail 
ty  with 
lormg, 
a  fresh 
'avoured 
Irced  the 
e,  their 


» 


•1 


■>■■;' 


way  was  completely  stopped.  The  stream  con- 
sisted of  such  small  pieces  of  ice,  that,  when  an  at- 
tempt was  made  to  warp  the  ships  ahead  by  fast- 
ening lines  to  some  of  the  heaviest  masses  near 
them,  the  ice  itself  came  home,  without  the  ships 
being  moved  forward.  Every  effort  to  extricate 
them  from  this  helpless  situation  proved  fruitless 
for  more  than  two  hours,  when  the  Hecla  was 
at  length  backed  out,  and  succeeded  in  pushing 
through  another  part  of  the  stream  in  which  a 
small  opening  appeared  just  at  that  moment.  All 
our  boats  were  immediately  despatched  to  the  as- 
sistance of  the  Griper,  which  still  remained  beset, 
and  which  no  effort  could  move  in  any  direction. 
We  at  length  resorted  to  the  expedient  of  sending 
a  whale-line  to  her  from  the  Hecla,  and  then,  ma- 
king all  sail  upon  the  latter  ship,  we  succeeded  in 
towing  her  out,  head  to  wind,  till  she  was  enabled 
to  proceed  in  clear  water.  The  crossing  of  this 
stream  of  ice,  of  which  the  breadth  scarcely  ex- 
ceeded three  hundred  yards,  occupied  us  constant, 
ly  for  more  than  five  hours,  and  may  serve  as  an 
example  of  the  detention  to  which  ships  are  liable 
in  this  kind  of  navigation. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  21st  the  fog  clear, 
ed  away,  and  discovered  to  us  the  land  called  by 
Davis,  Hope  Sanderson  and  the  Woman's  Islands, 
being  the  first  land  we  had  seen  in  sailing  north- 
ward into  Baffin's  Bay,  from  the  lat.  of  63J°.  We 
found  ourselves  in  the  midst  of  a  great  number  of 
very  high  icebergs,  of  which  I  counted,  from  the 
crow's  nest,  eighty-eight,  besides  many  smaller 
ones. 

Having  now  reached  the  latitude  of  73°  without 


i' 


.  I 


.■«£. 

■    .7',,  fj   ,                                                                                                                                                                                  r 

^1k 

- 

t 

;  '^'  - 

24 

VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERT 

::,>''''' 

'■*> 


seeing  a  single  opening  in  the  ice,  and  being  un- 
"willing  to  increase  our  distance  from  Sir  James 
Lancaster's  Sound  by  proceeding  much  iarther  to 
the  northward,  I  determined  once  more  to  enter 
the  ice  in  this  place,  and  to  try  the  experiment  of 
forcing  our  way  through  it,  in  order  to  get  into  the 
open  sea.  Being  therefore  favoured  with  clear 
weather,  and  a  moderate  breeze  froni  the  south- 
eastward, we  ran  into  the  ice,  which  for  the  first 
two  miles  consisted  of  detached  pieces,  but  after- 
ward of  floes  of  considerable  extent,  and  six  or 
seven  feet  in  thickness.  The  wind  died  away 
towards  midnight,  and  the  weather  was  serene  and 
clear. 

At  six  A.M.  on  the  23d,  a  thick  fog  came  on, 
which  rendered  it  impossible  to  see  our  way  any 
farther.  We  therefore  warped  to  an  iceberg,  to 
which  the  ships  were  made  fast  at  noon,  to  wait 
the  clearing  up  of  the  fog,  being  in  lat.  7-3°  04' 
10",  long.  60°  11'  30".  At  eight  P.M.  the  wea- 
ther cleared  up,  and  a  few  small  pools  of  open 
water  were  seen  here  and  there,  but  the  ice  was 
generally  as  close  as  before,  and  the  wind  being  to 
the  westward  of  north,  it  was  not  deemed  advisa- 
ble to  move. 

The  weather  being  clear  in  the  morning  of  the 
25th,  and  a  few  narrow  lanes  of  water  appearing 
to  the  westward,  the  Griper  was  made  fast  astern 
of  the  Hecla  ;  and  her  crew  being  sent  to  assist  in 
manning  our  capstan,  we  proceeded  to  warp  the 
shipr  through  the  ice.  This  method,  which  is  of- 
ten adopted  by  our  whalers,  has  the  obvious  ad- 
vantage of  applying  the  whole  united  force  in  sep- 
arating the  masses  of  ice  which  lig  in  the  way  of 


I 


"^ 


'y.:' 


OP  A  NOUTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


35 


ng  un- 
James 
ther  to 
)  enter 
ment  of 
into  the 
h  clear 

;  SOllth- 

the  first 
it  after- 
1  six  or 
d  away 
:ene  and 

ame  on, 
vay  any 
jberg,  to 
to  wait 
73°  04' 
he  wea- 
of  open 
ice  was 
being  to 
advisa- 

of  the 

)pearing 

bt  astern 

I  assist  in 

mrp  the 

Ich  is  of- 

lious  ad- 

|e  in  sep- 

way  of 


'^ 


the  first  ship,  allowing  the  second,  or  even  third, 
to  follow  close  astern,  with  very  little  obstruction. 
In  this  manner  we  had  advanced  about  four  miles 
to  the  westward  by  eight  P.M.,  after  eleven  hours 
of  very  laborious  exertion ;  and  having  then  coma 
to  the  end  of  the  clear  water,  and  the  weather  be- 
ing again  foggy,  the  ships  were  secured  in  a  deep 
"  bight,"  or  bay  in  a  floe,  called  by  the  sailors  a 
"  natural  dock," 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  26th  there  was 
clear  water  as  far  as  we  could  see  to  the  west- 
ward, which,  on  account  of  the  fog,  did  not  exceed 
the  distance  of  three  hundred  yards.  We  made 
sail,  however,  and  having  groped  our  way  for  about 
half  a  mile,  found  the  ice  once  more  close  in  every 
direction  except  that  in  which  we  had  been  sail- 
ing,  obliging  us  to  make  the  ships  fast  to  a  floe. 
At  half  past  three  P.M.  the  weather  cleared  up, 
and  a  few  narrow  lanes  of  water  being  seen  to  the 
westward,  every  exertion  was  immediately  made 
to  get  into  them.  On  beginning  to  heave,  how. 
ever,  we  found  that  the  "  hole"  of  water  in  which 
the  Hecla  lay  was  now  so  completely  enclosed  by 
ice  that  no  passage  out  of  it  could  be  found.  We 
tried  every  corner,  but  to  no  purpose  ;  all  the  power 
we  could  apply  being  insufiicient  to  move  the  heavy 
masses  of  ice  which  had  fixed  themselves  firmly 
between  us  and  the  lanes  of  water  without.  In 
the  mean  time,  Lieutenant  Liddon  had  succeeded 
in  advancing  about  three  hundred  yards,  and  had 
placed  the  Griper's  bow  between  two  heavy  floes, 
which  it  was  necessary  to  separate  before  any 
farther  progress  could  be  made.  Both  ships  con- 
tinued to  heave  at  their  hawisers  occasionally,  as 

VoL.1.— C   ' 


L 


t 


tT^ 


I 


26 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


the  ice  appeared  to  slacken  a  little,  by  which 
means  they  were  now  and  then  drawn  ahead  a  few 
inches  at  a  time,  but  did  not  advance  more  than 
half  a  dozen  yards  in  the  course  of  the  night.  By 
our  nearing  several  bergs  to  the  northward,  the  ice 
appeared  to  be  drifting  in  that  direction,  the  wind 
being  moderate  from  the  southward. 

About  three  A.M.,  Tuesday,  27th,  by  a  sudden 
motion  of  the  ice,  we  succeeded  in  getting  the 
Hecla  out  of  her  confined  situation,  and  ran  her 
up  astern  of  the  Griper.  The  clear  water  had 
made  so  much  to  the  westward,  that  a  narrow  neck 
of  ice  was  all  that  was  now  interposed  between  the 
ships  and  a  large  open  space  in  that  quarter.  Both 
ships'  companies  were  therefore  ordered  upon  the 
ice  to  saw  off  the  neck,  when  the  floes  suddenly 
opened  sufficiently  to  allow  the  Griper  to  push 
through  under  all  sail.  No  time  was  lost  in  the 
attempt  to  get  the  Hecla  through  after  her ;  but, 
by  one  of  those  accidents  to  which  this  navigation 
is  liable,  and  which  render  it  so  precarious  and  un- 
certain, a  piece  of  loose  ice,  which  lay  between 
the  two  ships,  was  drawn  after  the  Griper  by  the 
eddy  produced  by  her  motion,  and  completely 
blocked  the  narrow  passage  through  which  we 
were  about  to  follow.  Before  we  could  remove 
this  obstruction  by  hauling  it  back  out  of  the  chan- 
nel,  the  floes  were  again  pressed  together,  wedging 
it  firmly  and  immovably  between  them :  the  saws 
were  immediately  set  to  work,  and  used  with  great 
effect ;  but  it  was  not  till  eleven  o'clock  that  we 
succeeded,  after  seven  hours'  labour,  in  getting  the 
Hecla  into  the  lanes  of  clear  water  which  opened 
more  and  more  to  the  westward. 


# 


'"f 


OF  A  NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


27 


which 
id  a  few 
ire  than 
;ht.  By 
i,  the  ice 
he  wind 

3L  sudden 
Lting  the 
ran  her 
ater  had 
row  neck 
Lween  the 
er.    Both 
upon  the 
suddenly 
r  to  push 
)st  in  the 
her;  but, 
lavigation 
IS  and  un- 
between 
pr  by  the 
ompletely 
Which  we 
|d  remove 
the  chan- 
j,  wedging 
the  saws 
ith  great 
that  we 
;etting  the 
h  opened 


.« 


1 


V 


I 


On  the  29th  we  had  so  much  clear  water,  that 
the  ships  had  a  very  perceptible  pitching  motion, 
which,  from  the  closeness  of  the  ice,  does  not  very 
often  occur  in  the  Polar  regions,  and  which  is 
therefore  hailed  with  pleasure  as  an  indication  of 
an  open  sea.  At  five  P.M.  the  swell  increased 
considerably,  and,  as  the  wind  freshened  up  from 
the  northeast,  the  ice  gradually  disappeared  ;  so 
that  by  six  o'clock  we  were  sailing  in  an  open  sea, 
perfectly  free  from  obstruction  of  any  kind. 

We  now  seemed  all  at  once  to  have  got  into  the 
headquarters  of  the  whales.  They  were  so  nu- 
merous that  I  directed  the  number  to  be  counted 
during  each  watch,  and  no  leso  than  eighty-two 
are  mentioned  in  this  day's  log.  Mr.  Allison,  the 
Greenland  master,  considered  them  generally  as 
large  ones,  and  remarked  that  a  fleet  of  whalers 
might  easily  have  obtained  a  cargo  here  in  a  few 
days.  In  the  afternoon  the  wind  broke  us  off*  from 
the  N.N.W.,  which  obliged  us  to  cast  off*  the  Gri- 
per, and  we  carried  all  sail  ahead  to  make  the  land. 
We  saw  it  at  half  past  five  P.M.,  being  the  high 
land  about  Possession  Bay,  and  at  the  same  time 
several  streams  of  loose  but  heavy  ice  came  in 
sight,  which  a  fresh  breeze  was  drifting  fast  to  the 
southeastward. 

The  wind  increased  to  a  fresh  breeze  on  the 
morning  of  the  31st,  which  prevented  our  making 
much  way  to  the  westward.  We  stood  in  towards 
Cape  Byam  Martin,  and  sounded  in  eighty  fathoms 
on  a  rocky  bottom,  at  the  distance  of  two  miles  in 
an  east  direction  from  it.  We  soon  after  discov- 
ered the  flagstaff*  which  had  been  erected  on  Pos- 
session Mount  on  the  former  expedition  ;  an  object. 


'f 


i 


i 


28 


VOYAaE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


i      !x 


ifi 


f 


which,  though  insignificant  in  itself,  called  up  every 
person  immediately  on  deck  to  look  at  and  to  greet 
it  as  an  old  acquaintance. 

The  land  immediately  at  the  back  of  Possession 
Bay  rises  in  a  gentle  slope  from  the  sea,  present- 
ing an  open  and  extensive  space  of  low  ground, 
flanked  by  hills  to  the  north  and  south.  In  this 
valley,  and  even  on  the  hills,  to  the  height  of  six 
or  seven  hundred  feet  above  the  sea,  there  was 
scarcely  any  snow,  but  the  mountains  at  the  back 
were  completely  covered  with  it.  Some  pieces  of 
birch-bark  having  been  picked  up  in  the  bed  of 
this  stream  in  1818,  which  gave  reason  to  suppose 
that  wood  might  be  found  growing  in  the  inte- 
rior, I  directed  Mr.  Fisher  to  walk  up  it,  accom- 
panied by  a  small  party,  and  to  occupy  an  hour  or 
two  while  the  Griper  was  coming  up,  and  Captain 
Sabine  and  myself  were  employed  upon  the  beach, 
in  examining  the  nature  and  productions  of  the 
country. 

Mr.  Fisher  reported,  on  his  return,  that  he  had 
followed  the  stream  between  three  and  four  miles, 
where  it  turned  to  the  southwest,  without  discover- 
ing any  indications  of  a  wooded  country ;  but  a 
sufficient  explanation  respecting  the  birch-bark 
was  perhaps  furnished  by  his  finding,  at  the  dis- 
tance of  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  sea,  a  piece 
of  whalebone  two  feet  ten  inches  in  length  and  two 
inches  in  breadth,  having  a  number  of  circular 
holes  very  neatly  and  regularly  perforated  along 
one  of  its  edges,  which  had  \v  (^ oubtcdly  formed  part 
of  an  Esquimaux  sledge.  I'his  circumstance  af- 
fording a  proof  of  the  Esquimaux  having  visited 
this  part  of  the  coast  at  no  very  distant  period,  it 


M 


i 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGlg. 


29! 


up  every 
d  to  greet 

Possession 
,,  present- 
w  ground, 
In  this 
yht  of  six 
there  was 
;  the  back 
1  pieces  of 
he  bed  of 
to  suppose 

the  inte- 
it,  accom- 
an  hour  or 
id  Captain 

the  beach, 
ans  of  the 

lat  he  had 
bur  miles, 
t  discover- 
ry ;  but  a 
lirch-bark 
,t  the  dis- 
a,  a  piece 
h  and  two 
if  circular 
ted  along 
rmed  part 
stance  af- 
ng  visited 
period,  it 


was  concluded  that  the  piece  of  bark  above  alluded 
to  had  been  brought  hither  by  these  people.  From 
the  appearance  of  the  whalebone,  it  might  have 
been  lying  there  for  four  or  five  years.  That  none 
of  the  Esquimaux  tribe  had  visited  this  part  of  the 
coast  since  we  landed  there  in  1818,  was  evident 
from  the  flagstaff  then  erected  still  remaining  un- 
touched. Mr.  Fisher  found  every  part  of  the  val- 
ley quite  free  from  snow  as  high  as  he  ascended  it : 
and  the  following  fact  seems  to  render  it  probable 
that  no  great  quantity  either  of  snow  or  sleet  had 
fallen  here  since  our  last  visit.  Mr.  Fisher  had  not 
proceeded  far,  till,  to  his  great  surprise,  he  encoun- 
tered the  tracks  of  human  feet  upon  the  banks  of 
the  stream,  which  appeared  so  fresh  that  he  at  first 
imagined  them  to  have  been  recently  made  by  some 
natives,  but  which,  on  examination,  were  distinctly 
ascertained  to  be  the  marks  of  our  own  shoes, 
made  eleven  months  before. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Entrance  into  Sir  James  Lancaster's  Sound  of  Baffin.— Unin- 
terrupted Passage  to  the  Westward. — Discovery  and  Exami- 
nation of  Prince  Regent's  Inlet. — Progress  to  the  Southward 
stopped  by  Ice.— Return  to  the  Northward.— Pass  Barrow's 
Strait,  and  enter  the  Polar  Sea. 

We  were  now  about  to  enter  and  to  explore  that 
great  sound  or  inlet  which  has  obtained  a  degree 
of  celebrity  beyond  what  it  might  otherwise  have 

C  2 


h] 


I 


(I 


i  »i 


i 


V 


! 


80 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


been  considered  to  possess,  from  the  very  opposite 
opinions  wlych  have  been  held  with  regard  to  it. 
To  us  it  was  peculiarly  interesting,  as  being  the 
point  to  which  our  instructions  more  particularly 
directed  our  attention ;  and  I  may  add,  what  I  be- 
lieve we  all  felt,  it  was  that  point  of  the  voyago 
which  was  to  determine  the  success  or  failure  of 
the  expedition,  according  as  one  or  other  of  the 
opposite  opinions  alluded  to  should  be  corrobora- 
ted. It  will  readily  be  conceived,  then,  how  great 
our  anxiety  was  for  a  change  of  the  westerly  wind 
and  swell,  which,  on  the  1st  of  August,  set  down 
Sir  James  Lancaster's  Sound,  and  prevented  our 
making  much  progress.  Several  whales  were  seen 
in  the  course  of  the  day,  and  Mr.  Allison  remark- 
ed that  this  was  the  only  part  of  Baffin's  Bay  in 
which  he  had  ever  seen  young  whales  ;  for  it  is  a 
matter  of  surprise  to  the  whalers  in  general,  that 
they  seldom  or  never  meet  with  young  ones  on  this 
fishery,  as  they  are  accustomed  to  do  in  the  seas 
of  Spitzbergen. 

The  Griper  continued  to  detain  us  so  much,  that 
I  determined  on  making  the  best  of  our  way  to  the 
westward,  and  ordered  the  Hecla  to  be  hove  to  in 
the  evening,  and  sent  Lieutenant  Liddon  an  in- 
struction, with  some  signals,  which  might  facilitate 
our  meeting  in  case  of  fog  ;  and  I  appointed  as  a 
place  of  rendezvous  the  meridian  of  85°  west,  and 
as  near  the  middle  of  the  sound  as  circumstances 
would  permit.  As  soon,  therefore,  as  the  boat  re- 
turned from  the  Griper,  we  carried  a  press  of  sail, 
and  in  the  course  of  the  evening  saw  the  northern 
shore  of  the  sound  looming  through  the  clouds 
which  hung  over  it. 


'*mi\m 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


81 


•  opposite 
ird  to  it. 
jeing  the 
rticularly 
hat  I  be- 
e  voyagG 
iailure  of 
iPjV  of  the 
orrobora- 
low  great 
;erly  wind 
set  down 
ented  our 
were  seen 
a  remark. 
I's  Bay  in 
for  it  is  a 
peral,  that 
les  on  this 
the  seas 

luch,  that 
^ay  to  the 
love  to  in 
)n  an  in- 

facilitate 
ited  as  a 

?est,  and 
Imstances 

boat  ro- 
lls of  sail, 
J  northern 
le  clouds 


The  weather  being  clear  in  the  evening  of  the 
2d,  we  had  the  first  distinct  view  of  both  sides  of 
the  sound  ;  and  the  difference  in  the  character  of 
the  two  shores  was  very  apparent ;  that  on  the 
south  consisting  of  high  and  peaked  mountains, 
completely  snow-clad,  except  on  the  lower  parts, 
while  the  northern  coast  has  generally  a  smoother 
outline,  and  had,  comparatively  with  the  other,  lit- 
tle snow  upon  it ;  the  difference  in  this  last  respect 
appearing  to  depend  principally  on  the  difference 
in  their  absolute  height.  The  sea  was  open  be- 
fore us,  free  from  ice  or  land  ;  and  the  Hecla  pitch, 
ed  so  much  from  the  westerly  swell  in  the  course 
of  the  day,  as  to  throw  the  water  once  or  twice 
into  the  stern  windows ;  a  circumstance  which, 
together  with  otL'^i  appearances,  we  were  willing 
to  attribute  to  an  open  sea  in  the  desired  direction. 
More  than  forty  black  whales  were  seen  during  the 
day. 

We  made  little  way  on  the  3d,  but  being  favour* 
ed  at  length  by  the  easterly  breeze  which  was 
bringing  up  the  Griper,  and  for  which  we  had  long 
been  looking  with  much  impatience,  a  crowd  of 
sail  was  set  to  carry  us  with  all  rapidity  to  the 
westward.  It  is  more  easy  to  imagine  than  to 
describe  the  almost  breathless  anxiety  which  was 
now  visible  in  every  countenance,  while,  as  the 
breeze  continued  to  a  fresh  gale,  we  ran  quickly 
up  the  sound.  The  mastheads  were  crowded  by 
the  officers  and  men  during  the  whole  afternoon ; 
and  an  unconcerned  observer,  if  any  could  have 
been  unconcerned  on  such  an  occasion,  would  have 
been  amused  by  the  eagerness  with  which  the  va. 
rious  reports  from  the  crow's-nest  were  received ; 


if- 


\yl4»tii 


Z2 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE   DISCOVERY 


all,  however,  hitherto  favourable  to  our  most  san- 
guine hopes. 

Our  course  was  nearly  due  west,  and  the  wind 
still  continuing  to  freshen,  took  us  in  a  few  hours 
nearly  out  of  sight  of  the  Griper.  The  only  ico 
which  we  met  with  consisted  of  a  few  large  bergs 
very  much  washed  by  the  sea  ;  and  the  weather 
being  remarkably  clear,  so  as  to  enable  us  to  run 
with  perfect  safety,  we  were  by  midnight,  in  a  great 
measure,  relieved  from  our  anxiety  respecting  the 
supposed  continuity  of  land  at  the  bottom  of  this 
magnificent  inlet,  having  reached  the  longitude  of 
83°  12',  where  the  two  shores  are  still  above  thir- 
teen leagues  apart,  without  the  slightest  appear- 
ance of  any  land  to  the  westward  of  us  for  four  or 
five  points  of  the  compass. 

Having  made  the  ship  snug,  so  as  to  be  in  read- 
iness to  round  to  should  the  land  be  seen  ahead, 
and  the  Griper  having  come  up  within  a  few  miles 
of  us,  we  again  bor»5  up  at  one  A.M.,  the  4th.  At 
half  past  three.  Lieutenant  Beechey,  who  had  re- 
lieved me  on  deck,  discovered  from  the  crow's-nest 
a  reef  of  rocks,  in-shore  of  us  to  the  northward, 
on  which  the  sea  was  breaking.  The  cliffs  on  this 
part  of  the  coast  present  a  singular  appearance,  be- 
ing stratified  horizontally,  and  having  a  number  of 
regular  projecting  masses  of  rock,  broad  at  the  bot- 
tom, and  coming  to  a  point  at  the  top,  resembling 
so  many  buttresses,  raised  by  art  at  equal  inter- 
vals. 

After  lying-to  for  an  hour,  we  again  bore  up  to 
the  westward,  and  soon  after  discovered  a  cape, 
afterward  named  by  Captain  Sabine,  Cape  Fell- 
toot,  which  appeared  to  form  the  termination  of 


OF  A  N0RTHW2ST  PAS   IGE. 


33 


most  san. 

d  the  wind 
:  few  hours 
le  only  ice 
arge  bergs 
le  weather 
J  us  to  run 
,  in  a  great 
)ecting  the 
om  of  this 
Dngitude  of 
above  thir- 
st appear- 
for  four  or 

be  in  read- 
pen  aheadp 
few  miles 
4th.     At 
10  had  re- 
row's-nest 
orthward, 
ffs  on  this 
ranee,  be- 
lumber  of 
t  the  bot- 
3sembling 
ual  inter. 

ore  up  to 

a  cape, 

'E  Fell- 

nation  of 


< 


this  coast ;  and  as  the  haze,  which  still  {  revailewi 
to  the  south,  prevented  our  seeing  any  k  d  in  tl  at 
quarter,  and  the  sea  was  literally  as  free;  from  ico 
as  any  part  of  the  Atlantic,  we  began  to  flatter 
ourselves  that  we  had  fairly  entered  the  Polar  Sea, 
and  some  of  the  most  sanguine  among  us  had  even 
calculated  the  bearing  and  distance  of  Icy  Cape,  as 
a  matter  of  no  very  diflicult  or  improbable  accom- 
plishment. This  pleasing  prospect  was  rendered 
the  more  flattering  by  the  sea  having,  as  we  thought, 
regained  the  usual  oceanic  colour,  and  by  a  long 
swell  which  was  rolling  in  from  the  southward  and 
eastward.  At  six  P.M.,  however,  land  was  report- 
ed to  be  seen  ahead.  The  vexation  and  anxiety 
produced  on  every  countenance  by  such  a  report 
were  but  too  visible,  until,  on  a  nearer  approach,  it 
was  found  to  be  only  an  island,  of  no  very  large 
extent,  and  that,  on  each  side  of  it,  the  horizon 
still  appeared  clear  for  several  points  of  the  com- 
pass. At  eight  P.M.  we  came  to  some  ice  of  no 
great  breadth  or  thickness,  extending  several  miles 
in  a  direction  nearly  parallel  to  our  course ;  and 
as  we  could  see  clear  water  over  it  to  the  south- 
ward, I  was  for  some  time  in  the  hope  that  it  would 
prove  a  detached  stream,  from  which  no  obstruc. 
tion  to  our  progress  westerly  was  to  be  apprehend- 
ed. At  twenty  minutes  past  ten,  however,  the 
weather  having  become  hazy  and  the  wind  light, 
we  perceived  that  the  ice,  along  which  we  had 
been  sailing  for  the  last  two  hours,  was  joined,  at 
the  distance  of  half  a  mile  to  the  westward  of  us, 
to  a  compact  and  impenetrable  body  of  floes,  which 
lay  across  the  whole  breadth  of  the  strait,  formed 
by  the  island  and  the  western  point  of  Maxwell  Bay* 


«. ', 


.^ 


84 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


1'     i 


We  hauled  our  wind  to  the  northward,  just  in  time 
to  avoid  being  embayed  in  the  ice,  on  the  outer 
edge  of  which  a  considerable  surf,  the  effect  of  the 
late  gale,  was  then  rolling. 

While  the  calm  and  thick  weather  lasted,  a  num- 
ber of  the  officers  and  men  amused  themselves  in 
the  boats,  in  endeavouring  to  kill  some  of  the  white 
whales  which  were  swimming  about  the  ships  in 
great  numbers ;  but  the  animals  were  so  wary, 
that  they  would  scarcely  suffer  the  boats  to  ap- 
proach them  within  thirty  or  forty  yards  without 
diving.  Mr.  Fisher  described  them  to  be  gener- 
ally from  eighteen  to  twenty  feet  in  length ;  and 
he  stated  that  he  had  several  times  heard  them 
emit  a  shrill,  ringing  sound,  not  unlike  that  of  mu- 
sical glasses  when  badly  played.  This  sound,  he 
farther  observed,  was  most  distinctly  heard  when 
they  happened  to  swim  directly  beneath  the  boat, 
even  when  they  were  several  feet  under  water,  and 
ceased  altogether  on  their  coming  to  the  surface. 
We  saw  also,  for  the  first  time,  one  or  two  shoals 
of  narwhals,  called  by  the  sailors  sea-unicorns. 

A  steady  breeze  springing  up  from  the  W.N.W. 
in  the  afternoon,  the  ships  stood  to  the  northward  till 
we  had  distinctly  made  out  that  no  passage  to  the 
westward  could  at  present  be  found  between  the 
ice  and  the  land.  The  weather  having  become 
clear  about  this  time,  we  perceived  that  there  was 
a  large  open  space  to  the  southward,  where  no  land 
was  visible ;  and  for  this  opening,  over  which  there 
was  a  dark  water-sky,  our  course  was  now  di- 
rected. 

Since  the  time  when  we  first  entered  Sir  James 
Iiancaster's  Sound,  the  sluggishness  of  the  com* 


OP  A   NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


85 


ust  in  time 

the  outer 

feet  of  the 

sd,  a  num- 
nselves  in 
■  the  white 
s  ships  in 
so  wary, 
its  to  ap- 
is without 
be  gener- 
igth;  and 
jard  them 
lat  of  mu. 
sound,  he 
ard  when 
the  boat, 
^ater,  and 
i  surface, 
vo  shoals 
corns. 
W.N.W. 
ward  till 
ge  to  the 
een  the 
become 
lere  was 
3  no  land 
ch  there 
now  di. 

r  James 
le  com- 


passes, as  well  as  the  amount  of  their  irregularity 
produced  by  the  attraction  of  the  ship's  iron,  had 
been  found  very  rapidly,  though  uniformly,  to  in- 
crease  as  we  proceeded  to  the  westward ;  so  much, 
indeed,  that,  for  the  last  two  days,  we  had  been 
under  the  necesjity  of  giving  up  altogether  the 
usual  observations  for  determining  the  variation  of 
the  needle  on  board  the  ships.  This  irregularity 
became  more  and  more  obvious  as  we  now  ad- 
vanced to  the  southward,  which  rendered  it  not 
improbable  that  we  were  making  a  very  near  ap- 
proach  to  the  magnetic  pole.  For  the  purposes  of 
navigation,  therefore,  the  compasses  were  from  this 
time  no  longer  consulted ;  and  in  a  few  days  after- 
ward, the  binnacles  were  removed  as  useless  lum- 
ber from  the  deck  to  the  carpenter's  storeroom, 
where  they  remained  during  the  rest  of  the  season. 

A  dark  sky  to  the  southwest  had  given  us  hopes 
of  finding  a  westerly  passage  to  the  south  of  the 
ice  along  which  we  were  now  sailing ;  more  espe- 
cially as  the  inlet  began  to  wide  i  considerably  as 
we  advanced  in  that  direction  :  but  at  three  A.M. 
on  the  morning  of  the  8th,  we  perceived  that  the 
ice  ran  close  in  with  a  point  of  land  bearing  S.b. 
E.  from  us,  which  appeared  to  form  the  southern 
extremity  of  the  eastern  shore. 

With  the  increasing  width  of  the  inlet  we  had 
flattered  ourselves  with  increasing  hopes ;  but  we 
soon  experienced  the  mortification  of  disappoint- 
ment. The  prospect  from  the  crow's-nest  began 
to  assume  a  very  unpromising  appearance,  the 
whole  of  the  western  horizon,  from  north  round  to 
S.b.E.,  being  completely  covered  with  ice,  consist- 
ing of  heavy  and  extensive  floes,  beyond  which  no 


I 


il 


36 


VOYAGE  POR  THE  DISCOVERY 


indication  of  water  was  visible ;  instead  of  which 
there  was  a  bright  and  dazzling  iceblink  extend- 
ing from  shore  to  shore.  The  western  coast  of 
the  inlet,  however,  trended  much  more  to  the  west- 
ward than  before,  and  no  land  was  visible  to  the 
southwest,  though  the  horizon  was  so  clear  in  that 
quarter,  that,  if  any  had  existed  of  moderate  height, 
it  might  have  been  easily  seen  at  this  time  at  the 
distance  of  ten  or  twelve  leagues.  From  these 
circumstances,  the  impression  received  at  the  time 
was,  that  the  land,  both  on  the  eastern  and  western 
side  of  this  inlet,  would  be  one  day  found  to  con- 
sist of  islands. 

A  breeze  sprung  up  from  the  northward  on  the 
morning  of  the  12th,  but  the  weather  was  so  foggy 
for  some  hours  that  we  did  not  Icnow  in  what  di- 
rection it  was  blowing.  As  soon  as  the  fog  cleared 
away,  so  as  to  enable  us  to  see  a  mile  or  two 
around  us,  we  found  that  the  floe  to  which  we  had 
anchored  was  drifting  fast  down  upon  another  body 
of  ice  to  leeward,  threatening  to  enclose  the  shipa 
between  them.  We  therefore  cast  off  and  made 
sail,  in  order  to  beat  to  the  northward,  which  we 
found  great  difficulty  in  doing,  owing  to  the  quan- 
tity of  loose  ice  with  which  this  part  of  the  inlet 
was  now  covered.  A  remarkably  thick  fog  ob- 
scured the  eastern  land  from  our  view  this  evening 
at  the  distance  of  five  or  six  miles,  while  the  west- 
ern coast  was  distinctly  visible  at  four  times  that 
distance. 

The  weather  was  beautifully  calm  and  clear  on 
the  13th,  when,  being  near  an  opening  in  the  east- 
ern shore,  I  took  the  opportunity  of  examining  it 
in  a  boat.     It  proved  to  be  a  bay,  a  mile  wide  at 


^i 


OF   A   NORTHWESf  PASSAGE. 


37 


of  which 
k  extend- 
1  coast  of 
the  west- 
•le  to  the 
ar  in  that 
te  height, 
fie  at  the 
Dm  these 
:  the  time 
I  western 
I  to  con* 

rd  on  the 
so  foggy 
what  di. 
I  cleared 
3  or  two 
I  we  had 
ler  body 
he  ships 
id  made 

ich  we 

le  quan- 

|he  inlet 

fog  ob- 

jvening 
le  west, 
ies  that 

lear  on 
le  cast- 
ling it 
ddo  at 


its  entrance,  and  three  miles  deep  in  an  E.b.S.  di- 
rection, having  a  small  but  snug  cove  on  the  north 
side,  formed  by  an  island,  between  which  and  the 
main  land  is  a  bar  of  rocks,  which  completely  shel- 
ters the  cove  from  sea  or  drift  ice.  We  found  the 
water  so  deep,  that  in  rowing  close  along  the  shore 
we  could  seldom  get  bottom  with  seven  fathoms  of 
line.  The  cliffs  on  the  south  side  of  this  bay,  to 
which  I  gave  the  name  of  Port  Bo  wen,  resemble, 
in  many  places,  ruined  towers  and^battlements ; 
and  fragments  of  the  rocks  were  constantly  falling 
from  above.  At  the  head  of  the  bay  is  an  exten- 
sive piece  of  low  flat  ground,  intersected  by  nu- 
merous rivulets,  which,  uniting  at  a  short  distance 
from  the  beach,  formed  a  deep  and  rapid  stream, 
near  the  mouth  of  which  we  landed.  This  spot 
^  was,  I  think,  the  most  barren  I  ever  saw,  the  ground 
'9  being  almost  entirely  covered  with  small  pieces  of 
^ll  slaty  limestone,  among  which  no  vegetation  ap- 
peared  for  more  than  a  mile,  to  which  distance 
Mr.  Ross  and  myself  walked  inland,  following  the 
banks  of  the  stream.  Among  the  fragments  we 
picked  up  one  piece  of  limestone,  on  which  was 
the  impression  of  a  fossil-shell.  We  saw  here  a 
great  number  of  young  black  guillemots,  and  a 
flock  of  ducks,  which  we  supposed  to  be  of  the 
eider  species. 
^  The  narwhals  were  here  very  numerous  ;  these 
animals  appear  fond  of  remaining  with  their  backs 
exposed  above  the  surface  of  the  water,  in  the  same 
manner  as  the  whale,  but  for  a  much  longer  time, 
and  we  frequently  also  observed  their  horns  erect, 
and  quite  stationary  for  several  minutes  together. 
The  whole  of  the  14th  was  occupied  in  an  un- 
Vol.  I.—D 


*l! 


it 


38 


VOYAGE   FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


li 


f? 


successful  attempt  to  find  an  opening  in  the  ice  to 
the  westward,  which  remained  perfectly  close  and 
compact,  with  a  bright  iceblink  over  it. 

The  ice  continued  in  the  same  unfavourable  state 
on  the  15th ;  and  being  desirous  of  turning  to  some 
account  this  vexatious  but  unavoidable  detention,  I 
left  the  ship,  accompanied  by  Captain  Sabine  and 
Mr.  Hooper,  in  order  to  make  some  observations 
on  shore,  and  directed  Lieutenant  Liddon  to  send 
a  boat  from  the  Griper  for  the  same  purpose.  We 
landed  in  one  of  the  numerous  valleys  or  ravines 
which  occur  on  this  part  of  the  coast,  and  at  a  few 
miles'  distance  very  much  resemble  bays,  being 
bounded  by  high  hills  that  have  the  appearance  of 
bluff  headlands.  We  ascended  with  some  diffi- 
culty the  hill  on  the  south  side  of  the  ravine,  which 
is  very  steep,  and  covered  with  innumerable  de- 
tached blocks  of  limestone,  some  of  which  are 
constantly  rolling  down  from  above,  and  afford  a 
very  insecure  footing.  From  the  top  of  this  hill, 
which  is  about  six  or  seven  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  sea,  and  commands  an  extensive  view  to  the 
westward,  the  prospect  was  by  no  means  favoura- 
ble to  the  immediate  accomplishment  of  our  object. 
No  water  could  be  seen  over  the  ice  to  the  north- 
west, and  a  bright  and  dazzling  blink  covered  the 
whole  space  comprised  between  the  islands  and  the 
north  shore.  It  was  a  satisfaction,  however,  to 
find  that  no  land  appeared  which  was  likely  to  im- 
pede our  progress  ;  and  we  had  been  too  much  ac- 
customed to  the  obstruction  occasioned  by  ice,  and 
too  well  aware  of  the  suddenness  with  which  that 
obstruction  is  often  removed,  to  be  at  all  discour- 
uged  by  present  appearances. 


ti 


^  .-m 


OF   A  NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


39 


in  the  ice  to 
ly  close  and 

mrable  state 
ling  to  some 
detention,  I 
Sabine  and 
)bservations 
ion  to  send 
pose.     We 
i  or  ravines 
md  at  a  few 
bays,  being 
•earance  of 
some  diffi- 
vine,  which 
nerable  de- 
which   are 
id  afford  a 
of  this  hill, 
he  level  of 
^iew  to  the 
is  favoura- 
our  object, 
the  north- 
3vered  the 
ids  and  the 
jwever,  to 
^ely  to  im- 
much  ac 
)y  ice,  and 
vhich  that 
11  discour- 


4 


On  the  top  of  this  hill  we  deposited  a  bottle,  con- 
taining a  short  notice  of  our  visit,  and  raised  over 
it  a  small  mound  of  stones ;  of  these  we  found  no 
want,  for  the  surface  was  covered  with  small  pieces 
of  schistose  limestone,  and  nothing  like  soil  or  veg- 
etation could  be  seen. 

On  the  17th  we  had  a  fresh  breeze  from  the 
S.S.W.,  with  so  thick  a  fog  that,  in  spite  of  the 
most  unremitting  attention  to  the  sails  and  the 
steerage,  the  ships  were  constantly  receiving  heavy 
shocks  from  the  loose  masses  of  ice  with  which 
the  sea  was  covered,  and  which,  in  the  present 
state  of  the  weather,  could  not  be  distinguished  at 
a  sufficient  distance  to  avoid  them.  On  the  weath- 
er clearing  up  in  the  afternoon,  we  saw  for  the  first 
time  a  remarkable  bluff  headland,  which  forms  the 
northeastern  point  of  the  entrance  into  Prince  Re- 
gent's Inlet,  and  to  which  I  gave  the  name  of  Cape 
York.  A  little  to  the  eastward  of  Cape  Fellfoot, 
we  observed  six  stripes  of  snow  near  the  top  of 
the  cliff,  being  very  conspicuous  at  a  great  distance, 
when  viewed  from  the  southward.  These  stripes, 
which  are  formed  by  the  drift  of  snow  between 
the  buttress-like  projections  before  described,  and 
which  remained  equally  conspicuous  on  our  return 
the  following  year,  have  probably  at  all  times  much 
the  same  appearance,  at  least  about  this  season  of 
the  year,  and  may,  on  this  account,  perhaps,  be 
deemed  worthy  of  notice  as  a  landmark. 

There  being  still  no  prospect  of  getting  a  single 
mile  to  the  westward,  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Prince  Leopold's  Islands,  and  a  breeze  having 
freshened  up  from  the  eastward  in  the  afternoon,  I 
determined  to  stand  over  once  more  towards  tlie 


!■' 


f 


;i 


n: 


V 
I    • 


40 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


i  {• 


!  r 


northern  shore,  in  order  to  try  what  could  there  be 
done  towards  effecting  our  passage ;  and  at  nine 
P.M.,  after  beating  for  several  hours  among  floes 
and  streams  of  ice,  we  got  into  clear  water  near 
that  coast,  where  we  found  some  swell  from  the 
eastward.  There  was  just  light  enough  at  mid- 
night  to  enable  us  to  read  and  write  in  the  cabin. 

The  wind  and  sea  increased  on  the  19th,  with  a 
heavy  fall  of  snow,  which,  together  with  the  use- 
lessness  of  the  compasses,  and  the  narrow  space  in 
which  we  were  working  between  the  ice  and  the 
land,  combined  to  make  our  situation  for  several 
hours  a  very  unpleasant  one. 

On  the  21st  we  had  nothing  to  impede  our  prog- 
ress but  the  want  of  wind,  the  great  opening 
through  which  we  had  hitherto  proceeded  from 
Baffin's  Bay  being  now  so  perfectly  clear  of  ice, 
that  it  was  impossible  to  believe  it  to  be  the  same 
part  of  the  sea,  which,  but  a  day  or  two  before,  had 
been  completely  covered  with  floes  to  the  utmost 
extent  of  our  view.  In  the  forenoon  we  picked 
up  a  sn>all  piece  of  wood,  which  appeared  to  have 
been  the  end  of  a  boat's  yard,  and  which  caused 
sundry  amusing  speculations  among  our  gentle- 
men ;  some  of  whom  had  just  come  to  the  very 
natural  conclusion  that  a  ship  had  been  here  be- 
fore us,  and  that,  therefore,  we  were  not  entitled 
to  the  honour  of  the  first  discovery  of  that  part  of 
the  sea  on  which  we  were  now  sailing ;  when  a 
stop  was  suddenly  put  to  this  and  other  ingenious 
inductions  by  the  information  of  one  of  the  seamen, 
that  he  had  dropped  it  out  of  his  boat  a  fortnight  be- 
fore. I  could  not  get  him  to  recollect  exactly  the 
day  on  which  it  had  been  dropped,  but  what  he 


OF  A   NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


41 


d  there  be 
id  at  nine 
nong  floes 
rater  near 
from  the 
h  at  mid- 
le  cabin, 
►th,  with  a 
1  the  use- 
N  space  in 
e  and  the 
or  several 

our  prog. 

t   opening 

jded  from 

jar  of  ice, 

the  same 

>efore,  had 

le  utmost 

ve  picked 

}d  to  have 

;h  caused 

r  gentle- 

the  very 

here  be- 

t  entitled 

t  part  of 

when  a 

ngenious 

seamen, 

night  be- 

actly  the 

what  he 


stated  was  sufficient  to  convince  me  that  we  were 
not  at  that  time  more  than  ten  or  twelve  leagues 
from  our  present  situation ;  perhaps  not  half  so 
much ;  and  that,  therefore,  here  was  no  current 
setting  constantly  in  any  one  direction. 

We  perceived,  as  we  proceeded,  that  the  land 
along  which  we  were  sailing,  and  which,  with  the 
exception  of  some  small  inlets,  had  appeared  to  be 
hitherto  continuous  from  Baffin's  Bay,  began  now 
to  trend  much  to  the  northward,  beyond  Beechey 
Island,  leaving  a  large  open  space  between  that 
coast  and  the  distant  land  to  the  westward,  which 
now  appeared  like  an  island,  of  which  the  extremes 
to  the  north  and  south  were  distinctly  visible.  The 
latter  was  a  remarkable  headland,  having  at  its 
extremity  two  small  table-hills,  somewhat  resem- 
bling boats  turned  bottom  upward,  and  was  named 
Cape  Hotham.  At  sunset  we  had  a  clear  and  ex- 
tensive view  to  the  northward,  between  Cape  Ho- 
tham and  the  eastern  land.  On  the  latter?  several 
headlands  were  discovered  and  named ;  between 
the  northernmost  of  these,  called  Cape  Bowden, 
and  the  island  to  the  westward,  there  was  a  chan- 
nel of  more  than  eight  leagues  in  width,  in  which 
neither  land  nor  ice  could  be  seen  from  the  mast- 
head. To  this  noble  channel  I  gave  the  name  of 
Wellington.  The  arrival  off  this  grand  opening 
was  an  event  for  which  we  had  long  been  looking 
with  much  anxiety  and  impatience  ;  for  the  conti- 
nuity of  land  to  the  northward  had  always  been  a 
source  of  uneasiness  to  us,  principally  from  the 
possibility  that  it  might  take  a  turn  to  the  south- 
ward and  unite  with  the  coast  of  America.  The 
appearance  of  this  broad  opening,  free  from  ice, 

D  2 


% 


\ 


<t< 


h ' 


i 
^ 


; 


9 


» 


■*t 


42 


VOYAGE  FOE  THE  DISCOVERY 


and  of  the  land  on  each  side  of  it,  more  especially 
that  on  the  west,  leaving  scarcely  a  doubt  on  our 
minds  of  the  latter  being  an  island,  relieved  us  from 
all  anxiety  on  that  score ;  and  every  one  felt  that 
we  were  now  finally  disentangled  from  the  land 
which  forms  the  western  side  of  Baffin's  Bay ;  and 
that,  in  fact,  we  had  actually  entered  the  Polar 
Sea. 

i  Though  two  thirds  of  the  month  of  August  had 
now  elapsed,  I  had  every  reason  to  be  satisfied 
with  the  progress  which  we  had  hitherto  made.  I 
calculated  upon  the  sea  being  navigable  for  six 
weeks  to  come,  and  probably  more,  if  the  state  of 
the  ice  would  permit  us  to  edge  away  to  the  south- 
ward in  our  progress  westerly :  our  prospects,  in- 
deed, were  truly  exhilarating ;  the  ships  had  suffer- 
ed no  injury  ;  we  had  plenty  of  provisions ;  ciews 
in  high  health  and  spirits ;  a  sea,  if  not  open,  at 
least  navigable  ;  and  a  zealous  and  unanimous  de- 
termination, in  both  officers  and  men,  to  accom- 
plish, by  all  possible  means,  the  grand  object  on 
which  we  had  the  happiness  to  be  employed. 


'Mil   .':•'.     "«!,'.•*■ 

i 


.     I ,.     ... 


^^•^m^mm  '^''  fc>  _, 


vJ>\ 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


43 


UA 


tspecially 
)t  on  our 
i  us  from 
felt  that 
the  land 
Jay ;  and 
the  Polar 

agust  had 
satisfied 
made.  I 
e  for  six 
e  state  of 
the  south- 
spects,  in- 
lad  sufFer- 
is ;  ciews 
open,  at 
limous  de- 
lo  accom- 
bject  on 
led. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Favourable  Appearances  of  an  open  Westerly  Passage.— Land 
to  the  Northward,  a  Series  of  Islands. — General  Appearance 
of  them. —  Meet  with  some  Obstruction  from  low  Islands 
surrounded  with  Ice. — Remains  of  Esquimaux  Huts,  and  nat- 
ural Productions  of  Byam  Martin  Island. — Tedious  Naviga- 
tion from  Fogs  and  Ice.— Difficulty  of  Steering  a  Proper 
Course. — Arrival  and  Landing  on  Melville  Island.— Proceed 
to  the  Westward,  and  reach  the  Meridian  of  110°  W.  Long., 
the  first  Stage  in  the  Scale  of  Rewards  granted  by  Act  of 
Parliament. 

A  CALM  which  prevailed  during  the  night  kept 
us  quite  stationary  till  three  A.M.  on  the  23cl, 
when  a  fresh  breeze  sprung  up  from  the  north- 
ward, and  all  sail  was  made  for  Cape  Hotham,  to 
the  southward  of  which  it  was  now  my  intention 
to  seek  a  direct  passage  towards  Behring's  Strait. 
Wellington  Channel,  to  the  northward  of  us,  was 
as  open  and  navigable  to  the  utmost  extent  of  our 
view  as  any  part  of  the  Atlantic ;  but  as  it  lay  at 
right  angles  to  our  course,  and  there  was  still  an 
opening  at  least  ten  leagues  wide  to  the  southward 
of  Cornwallis  Island,  I  could  have  no  hesitation  in 
deciding  which  of  the  two  it  was  our  business  to 
pursue.  It  is  impossible  to  conceive  anything 
more  animating  than  the  quick  and  unobstructed 
run  with  which  we  were  favoured,  from  Beechey 
Island  across  to  Cape  Hotham.  Most  men  have, 
probably,  at  one  time  or  another,  experienced  that 
elevation  of  spirits  which  is  usually  produced  by 
rapid  motion  of  any  kind  ;  and  it  will  readily  be 


I 


V 


\h 


44 


VOYAGE   FOR   THE   DISCOVERY 


t  nv 


\  ; 


conceived  how  much  this  feeling  was  heightened  in 
us,  in  the  few  instances  in  which  it  occurred,  by  the 
slow  and  tedious  manner  in  which  the  greater  part 
of  our  navigation  had  been  performed  in  these 
seas. 

At  noon  we  had  reached  the  longitude  of  94°  43' 
15",  the  latitude  by  observation  being  74°  20'  52", 
when  we  found  that  the  land  which  then  formed 
the  western  extreme  on  this  side  was  a  second  isl- 
and, which  I  called  Griffith  Island.  The  ice  in 
this  neighbourhood  was  covered  with  innumerable 
"  hummocks,"  and  the  floes  were  from  seven  to  ten 
feet  in  thickness. 

After  various  unsuccessful  attempts  to  get 
through  the  ice  which  now  lay  in  our  way,  we 
were  at  length  so  fortunate  as  to  accomplish  this 
object  by  "boring"  through  a  number  of  heavy 
"  streams,"  which  occasioned  the  ships  to  receive 
many  severe  shocks ;  and,  at  half  an  hour  before 
midnight,  we  were  able  to  pursue  our  course, 
through  "  sailing  ice,"  to  the  westward. 

The  weather  was  at  this  time  remarkably  serene 
and  clear ;  and  although  we  saw  a  line  of  ice  to 
the  southward  of  us,  lying  in  a  direction  nearly 
east  and  west,  or  parallel  to  the  course  on  which 
we  were  steering,  and  some  more  land  appeared  to 
the  westward,  yet  the  space  of  open  water  was  still 
so  broad,  and  the  prospect  from  the  masthead, 
upon  the  whole,  so  flattering,  that  I  thought  the 
chances  of  our  separation  had  now  become  greater 
than  before  ;  and  I  therefore  considered  it  right  to 
furnish  Lieutenant  Liddon  with  fresh  instructions, 
and  to  appoint  some  new  place  of  rendezvous  in 
case  of  unavoidable  separation  from  the  Hecla. 


OF   A   NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


45 


itened  ia 
d,  by  the 
ater  part 
in  these 

►f  94°  43' 
20'  52", 
1  formed 
jcond  isl- 
he  ice  in 
umerable 
^en  to  ten 

to  get 
way,  we 
plish  this 
of  heavy 
o  receive 
ir  before 

course, 

' serene 

)f  ice  to 

nearly 

in  which 

)eared  to 

was  still 

masthead, 

ight  the 

greater 

right  to 

•uctions, 

:vous  in 

Hecla. 


At  ten  o'clock,  after  having  had  a  clear  view  of  the 
ice  and  of  the  land  about  sunset,  and  finding  that 
there  was  at  present  no  passage  to  the  westward, 
we  hauled  off  to  the  southeast,  in  the  hope  of  find- 
ing  some  opening  in  the  ice  to  the  southward,  by 
which  we  might  get  round  in  thv^  desired  direction. 
We  were  encouraged  in  this  hope  by  a  dark  "  water- 
sky"  to  the  southward  ;  but,  after  running  along  the 
ice  till  half  past  eleven  without  perceiving  any 
opening,  we  again  bore  up.  There  was  in  this 
neighbourhood  a  great  deal  of  that  particular  kind 
of  ice  called  by  the  sailors  "  dirty  ice,"  on  the  sur- 
face of  which  were  strewed  sand,  stones,  and,  in 
some  instances,  moss  :  ice  of  this  kind  must,  of 
course,  at  one  time  or  other,  have  been  in  close 
contact  with  the  land. 

At  ten  A.M.  I  despatched  Captain  Sabine  and 
Mr.  Ross  to  the  eastern  point  of  the  island,  which 
we  were  about  to  round  in  the  ships,  in  order  to 
make  the  necessary  observations,  and  to  examine 
the  natural  productions  of  the  shore.  Our  latitude 
at  noon  was  75°  03'  12",  long.  103°  44'  37",  and 
the  depth  of  water  forty  fathoms.  The  gentlemen 
reported,  on  their  return,  that  they  had  landed  on 
a  sandy  beach,  near  the  east  point  of  the  island, 
which  they  found  to  be  more  productive,  and  alto- 
gether more  interesting,  than  any  other  part  of  the 
shores  of  the  Polar  regions  which  we  had  yet  visit- 
ed. The  remains  of  Esquimaux  habitations  were 
found  in  four  different  places.  Six  of  these,  which 
Captain  Sabine  had  an  opportunity  of  examining, 
and  which  are  situated  on  a  level  sandy  bank,  at 
the  side  of  a  small  ravine  near  the  sea,  ar?  de- 
scribed by  him  as  consisting  of  stones  rudely  pkced 


M 


',«■ 


iJ 


*fi!- 


m 

■i' 


B 


*- 


m 


ii 


'   i 


! 


46 


VOYAGE   FOR   THE   DISCOVERY 


S  » ■i. 


in  a  circular,  or,  rather,  an  elliptical  form.  They 
were  from  seven  to  ten  feet  in  diameter ;  the  broad, 
flat  sides  of  the  stones  standing  vertically,  and  the 
whole  structure,  if  such  it  may  be  called,  being  ex- 
actly similar  to  that  of  the  summer  huts  of  the  Es- 
quimaux which  we  had  seen  at  Hare  Island  the 
preceding  year.  Attached  to  each  of  them  was  a 
smaller  circle,  generally  four  or  five  feet  in  diame- 
ter, which  had  probably  been  the  fireplace.  The 
small  circles  were  placed  indifferently  as  to  their 
direction  from  the  huts  to  which  they  belonged ; 
and  from  the  moss  and  sand  which  covered  some 
of  the  lower  stones,  particularly  those  which  com- 
posed the  flooring  of  the  huts,  the  whole  encamp- 
ment appeared  to  have  been  deserted  for  several 
years.  Very  recent  traces  of  the  reindeer  and 
musk-ox  were  seen  in  many  places  ;  and  a  head 
of  the  latter,  with  several  reindeers'  horns,  was 
brought  on  board.  A  few  patches  of  snow  re- 
mained in  sheltered  situations ;  the  ravines,  how- 
ever, which  were  numerous,  bore  the  signs  of  re- 
cent and  considerable  floods,  and  their  bottoms 
were  swampy,  and  covered  with  very  luxuriant 
moss  and  other  vegetation,  the  character  of  which 
diflered  verv  little  from  that  of  the  land  at  the 
bottom  of  Possession  Bay. 

The  dip  of  the  magnetic  needle  was  88°  25' 
58^^  and  the  variation  was  now  found  to  have 
changed  from  128°  58^  west,  in  the  longitude  of 
91°  48',  where  our  last  observations  on  shore  had 
been  made,  to  165°  50'  09"  east,  at  our  present 
station ;  so  that  we  had,  in  sailing  over  the  space 
included  between  those  two  meridians,  crossed  im- 
mediately to  the  northward  of  the  magnetic  pole, 


OF   A   NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


47 


,     They 
e  broad, 
and  the 
)eing  ex- 
r  the  Es. 
land  the 
m  was  a 
a  diame- 
e.     The 
to  their 
slonged  ; 
ed  some 
ich  com- 
encamp- 
•  several 
ieer  and 
i  a  head 
Irns,  was 
now  re- 
s,  how- 
s  of  re- 
bottoms 
xuriant 
f  which 
at  the 

188°  25' 
Ito  have 
itude  of 
lore  had 
I  present 
|e  space 
^sed  im- 
iic 


m 


pole, 


and  had  undoubtedly  passed  over  one  of  those  spots 
upon  the  globe  where  the  needle  would  have  been 
found  to  vary  180°,  or,  in  other  words,  where  its 
north  pole  would  have  pointed  due  south. 

The  wind  became  very  light  from  the  eastward, 
and  the  weather  continued  so  foggy  that  nothing 
could  be  done  during  the  night  but  to  stand  ofF-and- 
on,  by  the  soundings,  between  the  ice  and  the  land. 
On  the  29th,  after  a  few  hours  of  clear  weather, 
the  fog  came  on  again  as  thick  as  before  ;  fortu- 
nately, however,  we  had  previously  been  enabled 
to  take  notice  of  several  pieces  of  ice,  by  steering 
foi  each  of  which  in  succession  we  came  to  the 
edge  of  a  floe,  along  which  our  course  was  to  be 
pursued  to  the  westward.  As  long  as  we  had  this 
guidance,  we  advanced  with  great  confidence  ;  but 
as  soon  as  we  came  to  the  end  of  the  floe,  which 
then  turned  off  to  the  southward,  the  circumstances 
under  which  we  were  sailing  were  perhaps  such 
as  have  never  occurred  since  the  early  days  of  nav- 
igation. To  the  northward  was  the  land  ;  the 
ice,  as  we  supposed,  to  the  southward ;  the  com- 
passes useless;  and  the  sun  completely  obscured 
by  a  fog  so  thick,  that  the  Griper  could  only  now 
and  then  be  seen  at  a  cable's  length  astern.  We 
had  literally,  therefore,  no  mode  of  regulating  our 
course  but  by  once  more  trusting  to  the  steadiness 
of  the  wind ;  and  it  was  not  a  little  amusing,  as 
well  as  novel,  to  see  the  quartermaster  conning 
the  ship  by  looking  at  the  dog  vane. 

The  weather  cleared  a  little  at  intervals,  but  not 
enough  to  enable  us  to  proceed  till  nine  A.M.  on 
the  31st,  when  we  cast  off*  from  the  ice,  with  a 
very  light  air  from  the  northward.     We  occasion- 


^1! 


if 

i 


'!*■ 


iJ^ 


|3i 


■4  ) 

Is ' 


14 


■(?' 


;vt-  i 


iw 


M  '  hi'i 


I  H 


i'Mi;/,i!i 


I  1     h 

illJIIIIj 

i  1 


48 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


ally  caught  a  glimpse  of  land  through  the  heavy 
fog- banks  with  which  the  horizon  was  covered, 
which  was  sufficient  to  give  us  an  idea  of  the  true 
direction  in  which  we  ought  to  steer.  Soon  after 
noon  we  were  once  more  enveloped  in  a  fog,  which, 
however,  was  not  so  thick  as  to  prevent  our  having 
recourse  to  a  new  expedient  for  steering  the  ships, 
which  circumstances  at  the  time  naturally  suggest- 
ed to  our  minds.  Before  the  fog  recommenced, 
and  while  we  were  sailing  on  the  course  which,  by 
the  bearings  of  the  land,  we  knew  to  be  the  right 
one,  the  Griper  was  exactly  astern  of  the  Hecla,  at 
the  distance  of  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile.  The 
weather  being  fortunately  not  so  thick  as  to  prevent 
our  still  seeing  her  at  that  distance,  the  quarter- 
master was  directed  to  stand  aft,  near  the  taffrail, 
and  to  keep  her  constantly  astern  of  us,  by  which 
means  we  contrived  to  steer  a  tolerably  straight 
course  to  the  westward.  The  Griper,  on  the  other 
hand,  naturally  kept  the  Hecla  right  ahead ;  and 
thus,  however  ridiculous  it  may  appear,  it  is  nev- 
ertheless true,  that  we  steered  one  ship  entirely  by 
the  other  for  a  distance  of  ten  miles  out  of  sixteen 
and  a  half,  which  we  sailed  between  one  and  eleven 
P.M. 

The  wind  died  away  on  the  morning  of  the  1st 
of  September,  and  the  fog  was  succeeded  by  snow 
and  sleet,  which  still  rendered  the  atmosphere  ex- 
tremely thick.  At  a  quarter  before  four  A.M.,  I 
was  informed  by  the  officer  of  the  watch  that  a 
breeze  had  sprung  up,  and  that  there  was  very  lit- 
tle ice  near  the  ships.  Anxious  to  take  advantage 
of  these  favourable  circumstances,  I  directed  all 
sail  to  be  made  to  the  westward :  there  was  no  dif. 


#* 


OF  A  NORTHWEST   PASSAGE, 


49 


he  heavy 

covered, 
f  the  true 
loon  after 
)g,  which, 
ur  having 
the  ships, 
''  suggest- 
nmenced, 
w^hich,  by 

the  right 
Hecla,  at 
le.  The 
0  prevent 

quarter- 
e  tafTrail, 
by  which 

straight 

the  other 

jad ;  and 

is  nev- 

irely  by 

sixteen 

d  eleven 

the  1st 

by  snow 

here  ex- 

A.M.,  I 

that  a 
very  lit- 
vantage 
5cted  all 

no  dif- 


t 


ficulty  in  complying  with  the  first  part  of  this  order ; 
but  to  ascertain  which  way  the  wind  was  blowing, 
and  to  which  quarter  of  the  horizon  the  ship's  head 
was  to  be  directed,  was  a  matter  of  no  such  easy 
accomplishment ;  nor  could  we  devise  any  means 
of  determining  this  question  till  five  o'clock,  when 
we  obtained  a  sight  of  the  sun  through  the  fog,  and 
were  thus  enabled  to  shape  our  course,  the  wind 
being  moderate  from  the  northward. 

At  one  A.M.  on  the  2d,  a  star  was  seen,  being 
the  first  that  had  been  visible  to  us  for  more  than 
two  months. 

As  we  were  making  no  way  to  the  westward,  I 
left  the  ship,  accompanied  by  a  large  party  of  offi- 
cers and  men,  and  was  soon  after  joined  by  the 
Griper's  boats.  The  basis  of  this  land  is  sand- 
stone ;  but  we  met  with  limestone  also,  occurring 
in  loose  pieces  on  the  surface,  and  several  lumps  of 
coal  were  brought  in  by  the  parties  who  had  trav- 
ersed the  island  in  different  directions.  Our  sports- 
men were  by  no  means  successful,  having  seen  only 
two  deer,  which  were  too  wild  to  allow  them  to  get 
near  them.  The  dung  of  these  animals,  however, 
as  well  as  that  of  the  musk-ox,  was  very  abundant, 
especially  in  those  places  where  the  moss  was  most 
luxuriant ;  every  here  and  there  we  came  to  a  spot 
of  this  kind,  consisting  of  one  or  two  acres  of 
ground,  covered  with  a  rich  vegetation,  which  was 
evidently  the  feeding-place  of  those  animals,  there 
being  quantities  of  their  hair  and  wool  lying  scat- 
tered about.  Several  heads  of  the  musk-ox  were 
picked  up,  and  one  of  the  Hecla's  seamen  brought 
to  the  boat  a  narwhal's  horn,  which  he  found  on  a 
hill  more  than  a  mile  from  the  sea,  and  which  must 

Vol.  L— E 


f 


V': 


if: 


;J 


:(*■ 


V^ 


m 


M 


''f 


!  H 


>! 


M 


ll  i  : 


VOYAGE   FOR  THE   DISCOVERY 


have  been  carried  thither  by  Esquimaux  or  by 
bears :  three  or  four  brace  of  ptarmigan  were  kill- 
ed, and  these  were  the  only  supply  of  this  kind 
which  we  obtained.  We  found  no  indication  of 
this  part  of  the  island  having  been  inhabited,  un- 
less the  narwhal's  horn  be  considered  as  such. 

The  wind  continued  light  and  variable  till  half 
past  eight  A.M.  on  the  3d,  when  a  breeze  from  the 
northward  once  more  enabled  us  to  make  some 
progress.  I  was  the  more  anxious  to  do  so  from 
having  perceived  that  the  main  ice  had,  for  the  last 
twenty-four  hours,  been  gradually,  though  slowly, 
closing  on  the  shore,  thereby  contracting  the 
scarcely  navigable  channel  in  which  we  were  sail- 
ing.  The  land  which  formed  our  western  extreme 
was  a  low  point,  five  miles  to  the  westward  of  our 
place  of  observation  the  preceding  day,  which  I 
named  Point  Ross,  and  the  ice  had  already  ap- 
proached this  point  so  much  that  there  was  con- 
siderable doubt  whether  any  passage  could  be  found 
between  them.  We  had  scarcely  cleared  the 
point  when  the  wind  failed  us,  and  the  boats  were 
immediately  sent  ahead  to  tow,  but  a  breeze  spring- 
ing up  shortly  after  from  the  westward,  obliged  us 
to  have  recourse  to  another  method  of  gaining 
ground,  which  we  had  not  hitherto  practised :  this 
was  by  using  small  anchors  and  whale-lines  as 
warps,  by  which  means  we  made  great  progress, 
till,  at  forty  minutes  after  noon,  we  were  favoured 
by  a  fresh  breeze,  wh' ch  soon  took  us  into  an  open 
space  of  clear  water  to  the  northward  and  west- 
ward. A  little  to  the  westward  of  Point  Ross 
there  was  a  barrier  of  ice,  composed  of  heavy 
masses  firmly  fixed  to  the  ground  at  nearly  regu- 


4 


OF   A    NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


51 


ux  or  by 
were  kill- 
this  kind 
cation  of 
ibited,  un- 
I  such, 
le  till  half 
5  from  the 
ake  some 

0  so  from 
3r  the  last 
;h  slowly, 
cting  the 
were  sail- 
n  extreme 
ird  of  our 
,  which  I 
ready  ap- 
was  con- 

1  be  found 
a  red  the 
Dats  were 
;e  spring- 
bliged  us 

gaining 
3ed :  this 
lines  as 


an  open 
id  west- 
nt  Ross 
)f  heavy 
y  regu- 


M 


lar  intervals  for  about  a  mile,  in  a  direction  paral- 
lel to  the  beach.  At  right  angles  to  this  a  second 
tier  projected,  of  the  same  kind  of  ice,  extending 
to  the  shore,  so  that  the  two  together  formed  a 
most  complete  harbour,  within  which,  I  believe,  a 
ship  might  have  been  placed  in  case  of  necessity, 
without  much  danger  from  the  pressure  of  the  ex- 
ternal floes  of  ice.  It  was  natural  for  us  to  keep 
in  view  the  possibility  of  our  being  obliged  to  pass 
the  ensuing  winter  in  such  a  harbour ;  and  it  must 
be  confessed,  that  the  apparent  practicability  of 
finding  such  tolerable  security  for  the  ships  as  this 
artificial  harbour  afforded,  should  we  fail  in  dis- 
covering a  more  safe  and  regular  anchorage,  ad- 
ded not  a  little  to  the  confidence  with  which  our 
operations  were  carried  on  during  the  remainder 
of  the  season. 

At  a  quarter  past  nine  P.M.  we  had  the  satis- 
faction of  crossing  the  meridian  of  110°  west 
from  Greenwich,  in  the  latitude  of  74°  44'  20" ; 
by  which  his  majesty's  ships  under  my  orders  be- 
came entitled  to  the  sum  of  five  thousand  pounds, 
being  the  reward  offered  to  such  of  his  majesty's 
subjects  as  might  succeed  in  penetrating  thus  far 
to  the  westward  within  the  Arctic  Circle.  In  or- 
der to  commemorate  the  success  which  had  hitherto 
attended  our  exertions,  the  bluff  headland  which 
we  had  just  passed  was  subsequently  called  by  the 
men  Bounty  Cape  ;  by  which  name  I  have  there- 
fore distinguished  it  on  the  chart. 

The  wind  increasing  to  a  fresh  gale  from  the 
northward  in  the  afternoon,  and  the  ice  still  con- 
tinning  to  oppose  an  impenetrable  barrier  to  our 
farther  progress,  I  determined  to  beat  up  to  the 


<i  ;;• 


If 


;3: 


1 


I  f 


■Si 


rr 


I       .; 


62 


VOYAGE   FOR   THE   DISCOVERY 


northern  shore  of  the  bay,  and,  if  a  tolerable  road, 
stead  could  be  found,  to  drop  our  anchors  till  some 
change  should  take  place.  This  was  accordingly 
done  at  three  P.M.,  in  seven  fathoms'  water.  This 
roadstead,  which  I  called  the  Bay  of  the  Hecla 
AND  Griper,  affords  very  secure  shelter  with  the 
wind  from  E.N.E.  round  by  north  to  S.W.,  and 
we  found  it  more  free  from  ice  than  any  other  part 
of  the  southern  coast  of  the  island. 

The  Bay  of  the  Hecla  and  Griper  was  the  first 
spot  where  we  had  dropped  anchor  since  leaving 
the  coast  of  Norfolk ;  a  circumstance  which  was 
rendered  the  more  striking  to  us  at  the  moment,  as 
it  appeared  to  mark,  in  a  very  decided  manner,  the 
completion  of  one  stage  of  our  voyage.  The  en- 
signs and  pendants  were  hoisted  as  soon  as  we  had 
anchored,  and  it  created  in  us  no  ordinary  feelingi? 
of  pleasure  to  see  the  British  flag  waving  for  the 
first  time  in  these  regions,  which  had  hitherto  been 
considered  beyond  the  limits  of  the  habitable  part 
of  the  world. 


V: 


^^^ 


i#^i^*^/) 


i 


<Mi 


OP  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


58 


le  road- 
ill  some 
^rdingly 
.  This 
Hecla 
^ith  the 
V.f  and 
iier  part 

the  first 

leaving 

ch  wa3 

nent,  as 

ner,  the 

The  en- 

we  had 

feelingi' 

for  the 

to  been 

)le  part 


:0 


CHAPTER  IV. 


■i 


Further  Examination  of  Melville  Island.— Continuation  of  our 
Progress  to  the  Westward.— Long  detention  by  the  Ice. — Party 
sent  on  shore  to  hunt  Deer  and  Musk-oxen. — Return  in  three 
Days,  after  losing  their  way. — Anxiety  on  their  account. — Pro- 
ceed to  the  Westward  till  finally  stopped  by  the  Ice. — In  re- 
turning to  the  Eastward,  the  Griper  forced  on  the  Beach  by 
the  Ice. — Search  for,  and  Discovery  of,  a  Winter  Harbour  on 
Melville  Island. — Operations  for  securing  the  Ships  in  their 
Winter  Quarters. 

As  the  wind  still  continued  to  blow  strong  from 
the  northward  on  the  morning  of  the  6th,  without 
any  appearance  of  opening  a  passage  for  us  past 
Cape  Hearne,  I  took  the  opportunity  of  sending  all 
our  boats  from  both  ships  at  eight  A.M.,  to  bring 
on  board  a  quantity  of  moss-peat  which  our  gen- 
tlemen reported  having  found  near  a  small  lake  at 
no  great  distance  from  the  sea,  and  which  I  di- 
rected to  be  substituted  for  part  of  our  usual  allow- 
ance of  coals.  Captain  Sabine  also  went  on  shore 
to  make  the  requisite  observations  ;  and  several  of 
the  officers  of  both  ships  to  sport,  and  to  collect 
specimens  of  natural  history. 

The  wind  beginning  to  moderate  soon  after  noon, 
and  there  being  at  length  some  appearance  of  mo- 
tion in  the  ice  near  Cape  Hearne,  the  boats  were 
immediately  recalled  from  the  shore,  and  returned 
at  two  P.M.,  bringing  some  peat,  which  was  found 
to  burn  tolerably,  but  a  smaller  quantity  than  I  had 
hoped  to  procure.     We  then  made  sail  for  Cape 

£  2 


'■-i\ 


.  Nil 


:«it 


«1 


;•  : 


',, 


111: 


'   i 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


Hearne,  which  we  rounded  at  six  o'clock,  having 
no  soundings  with  from  seventeen  to  twenty  fath- 
oms of  line,  at  the  distance  of  a  mile  and  a  quar- 
ter from  the  point. 

I  was  beginning  once  more  to  indulge  in  those 
flattering  hopes,  of  which  often-repeated  disap- 
pointments cannot  altogether  deprive  us,  when  I 
perceived  from  the  crow's-nest  a  compact  body  of 
ice,  extending  completely  in  to  the  shore  near  the 
point  which  formed  the  western  extreme.  We  ran 
sufficiently  close  to  be  assured  that  no  passage  to 
the  westward  could  at  present  be  effected,  the  floes 
being  literally  upon  the  beach,  and  not  a  drop  of 
clear  water  being  visible  beyond  them.  I  then  or- 
dered the  ships  to  be  made  fast  to  a  floe,  being  in 
eighty  fathoms'  water,  at  the  distance  of  four  or 
five  miles  from  the  beach.  The  season  had  now 
so  far  advanced  as  to  make  it  absolutely  necessary 
to  secure  the  ships  every  night  from  ten  till  two 
o'clock,  the  weather  being  too  dark  during  that  in- 
terval to  allow  of  our  keeping  under  way  in  such 
a  navigation  as  this,  deprived  as  we  were  of  the 
use  of  compasses. 

On  the  morning  of  the  8th,  there  being  no  pros- 
pect of  any  immediate  alteration  in  the  ice,  I  di. 
rected  the  boats  to  be  sent  on  shore  from  both  ships, 
to  endeavour  to  procure  some  game,  as  well  as  to 
examine  the  productions  of  this  part  of  the  island. 
On  going  to  the  masthead,  shortly  after  the  boats 
had  been  despatched,  I  found  that  the  bight  of  ice 
in  which  the  ships  were  lying  was  not  one  floe, 
but  formed  by  the  close  junction  of  two,  so  that 
our  situation  was  by  no  means  so  secure  as  I  had 
supposed  ;  for  this  bight  was  so  far  from  being  a 


■  M 

i 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


65 


protection  to  us,  in  case  of  ice  driving  on  shore, 
that  it  would  probably  be  the  means  of  "  nipping" 
us  between  the  floes  which  formed  it.  I  therefore 
determined  on  immediately  removing  the  ships  in- 
shore, and  went  in  a  boat  to  look  out  for  a  place  for 
that  purpose,  there  being  no  alternative  between  this 
and  our  returning  some  distance  to  the  eastward, 
into  the  larger  space  of  clear  water  which  we  had 
there  lefl  behind  us.  I  found  that  a  heavy  piece 
of  ice  aground  in  twelve  fathoms,  at  the  distance  of 
three  hundred  yards  from  the  beach,  would  suit  our 
purpose  for  the  Hecla,  and  another,  in  ten  fathoms, 
still  nearer  in-shore,  was  selected  for  the  Griper. 
These  masses  were  from  twenty  to  thirty  feet 
above  the  sea,  and  each  about  the  length  of  the  re- 
spective ships. 

At  four  P.M.,  the  weather  being  quite  calm,  the 
ships  were  towed  in-shore  by  the  boats,  and  made 
fast  in  the  places  selected  for  them. 

Impatient  and  anxious  as  we  were  to  make  the 
most  of  the  short  remainder  of  the  present  season, 
our  mortification  will  easily  be  imagined  at  per. 
ceiving,  on  the  morning  of  the  9th,  not  only  that 
the  ice  was  as  close  as  ever  to  the  westward,  but 
that  the  floes  in  our  immediate  neighbourhood 
were  sensibly  approaching  the  shore.  As  there 
was  no  chance,  therefore,  of  our  being  enabled 
to  move,  I  sent  a  party  on  shore  at  daylight  to  col- 
lect what  coal  they  could  find,  and  in  the  course 
of  the  day,  nearly  two  thirds  of  a  bushel,  being 
about  equal  to  the  Hecla's  daily  expenditure,  was 
brought  on  board.  Our  sportsmen,  who  were  out 
for  several  hours,  could  only  procure  us  a  hare  and 
a  few  ducks. 


I       ) 


*  I 


56 


VOYAGE   FOR  THE   DISCOVERY 


On  the  11th  there  was  no  alteration  in  the  ice 
near  the  ships,  and  Mr.  Bushnan,  whom  I  despatch- 
ed at  daylight  to  the  western  cape,  reported  on  his 
return,  that  appearances  were  equally  unpromising 
in  that  quarter.  Mr.  Dealy  was  fortunate  enough 
to  kill  the  first  musk-ox  that  our  sportsmen  had  yet 
been  able  to  get  near ;  but,  as  it  was  at  the  dis- 
tance of  eight  or  ten  miles  from  the  ships,  our 
present  situation  with  regard  to  the  ice  would  not 
allow  of  my  sending  a  party  of  men  to  bring  it  on 
board.  A  piece  of  the  meat  which  Mr.  Dealy 
brought  with  him  was  considered  to  taste  tolerably 
well,  but  its  smell  was  by  no  means  tempting. 

I  must  now  mention  an  occurrence  which  had 
caused  considerable  apprehension  in  our  minds  for 
the  last  two  days,  and  the  result  of  which  had  very 
nearly  proved  of  very  sei  ious  importance  to  the  fu- 
ture welfare  of  the  expedition.  Early  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  11th  I  received  a  note  from  Lieutenant 
Liddon,  acquainting  me  that,  at  daylight  on  the  pre- 
ceding day,  Mr.  Fife,  with  a  party  of  six  men,  had 
been  despatched  from  the  Griper,  with  the  hope  of 
surprising  some  reindeer  and  musk-oxen,  whose 
tracks  had  been  seen  in  a  ravine  to  the  westward  of 
the  ships.  As  they  had  not  yet  returned,  in  compli- 
ance with  the  instructions  given  to  Mr.  Fife,  and  had 
only  been  supplied  with  a  small  quantity  of  provis- 
ions, it  was  natural  to  apprehend  that  they  had  lost 
their  way  in  pursuit  of  game.  I  therefore  recom- 
mended to  Lieutenant  Liddon  to  send  a  party  in 
search  of  his  people,  and  Messrs.  Reid,  Beverly,  and 
Wakeham,  who  immediately  volunteered  their  ser- 
vices on  the  occasion,  were  accordingly  despatch- 
ed for  this  purpose.    Soon  after  their  departure, 


OF   A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


67 


however,  it  began  to  snow,  which  rendered  the  at- 
mosphere  so  extremely  thick,  especially  on  the  hills 
along  which  they  had  to  travel,  that  this  party  also 
lost  their  way,  in  spite  of  every  precaution,  but  for- 
tunately got  sight  of  our  rockets  after  dark,  by 
which  they  were  directed  to  the  ships,  and  return- 
ed at  ten  o'clock,  almost  exhausted  with  cold  and 
fatigue,  without  any  intelligence  of  the  absentees. 

At  daylight  on  the  following  aorning,  I  sent 
Lieutenant  Hoppner,  with  the  Hecla's  fore-royal- 
mast  rigged  as  a  flagstaff,  which  he  erected  on  a 
conspicuous  hill  four  or  five  miles  inland,  hoisting 
upon  it  a  large  ensign,  which  might  be  seen  at  a 
considerable  distance  in  every  direction.  This  ex* 
pedient  occurred  to  us  as  a  more  certain  mode  of 
directing  our  absentees  towards  the  ships  than  that 
of  sending  out  a  number  of  parties,  which  I  could 
not,  in  common  prudence  as  well  as  humanity,  per- 
mit to  go  to  any  great  distance  from  the  ships ; 
but  the  snow  fell  so  thick,  and  the  drill  was  so 
great  during  the  whole  of  the  12th,  that  no  ad- 
vantage could  at  that  time  be  expected  from  it,  and 
another  night  came  without  the  absent  party  ap- 
pearing.  i 

Our  apprehensions  on  their  account  was  by  this 
time  increased  to  a  most  painful  degree,  and  I 
therefore  ordered  four  parties,  under  the  command 
of  careful  officers,  to  be  prepared  to  set  out  in 
search  of  them  the  following  morning.  These 
parties  carried  with  them  a  number  of  pikes,  hav- 
ing  small  flags  attached  to  them,  which  they  were 
directed  to  plant  at  regular  intervals,  and  which 
were  intended  to  answer  the  double  purpose  of 
guiding  themselves  on  their  return  and  of  directing 


mi 


1 "  ■ 

I 

I'J 


■-  4 


I      r 


ti 


11 


H       ft 


I' 


■      '  ' 


l! 

'Ill  111  I'; 


iii 


'i 


lifl:i 


\ 


58 


VOYAGE   FOR   THE   DISCOVERY 


the  absent  party,  should  they  meet  with  them,  to 
the  ships.  For  the  latter  purpose  a  bottle  was 
fixed  to  each  pike,  containing  the  necessary  direc- 
tions for  their  guidance,  and  acquainting  them  that 
provisions  would  be  found  at  the  large  flagstaff 
on  the  hill.  Our  searching  parties  left  the  ships 
soon  after  daylight,  the  wind  still  blowing  hard  from 
the  westward,  with  incessant  snow,  and  the  ther- 
mometer at  28°.  This  weather  continued  without 
intermission  during  the  day,  and  our  apprehensions 
for  the  safety  of  our  people  were  excited  to  a  most 
alarming  degree,  when  the  sun  began  to  descend 
behind  the  western  hills  for  the  third  time  since 
they  had  left  the  ship  ;  I  will  not,  therefore,  attempt 
to  describe  the  joyful  feelings  we  suddenly  experi- 
enced, on  the  Griper's  hoisting  the  signal  appoint- 
ed, to  inform  us  that  her  men,  or  a  part  of  them, 
were  seen  on  their  return.  Soon  after  we  observ- 
ed seven  persons  coming  along  the  beach  to  the 
eastward,  who  proved  to  be  Mr.  Nias  and  his  par- 
ty, with  four  out  of  the  seven  men  belonging  to  the 
Griper.  From  the  Itiiter,  consisting  of  a  corporal 
of"  marines  and  ^.\ree  seamen,  we  learned  that  they 
had  lost  their  w/xy  within  a  few  hours  after  leaving 
the  ship,  and  he  d  wandered  about  without  anything 
to  guide  them  till  about  ten  o'clock  on  the  follow, 
ing  day,  when  they  descried  the  large  flagstaff  at 
a  great  distance.  At  this  time  the  whole  party 
were  together ;  but  now  unfortunately  separated,  in 
consequence  of  a  difference  of  opinion  respecting 
the  flagstaff,  which  Mr.  Fife  mistook  for  a  smaller 
one  that  had  been  erected  some  days  before  at  a 
considerable  distance  to  the  eastward  of  our  pres- 
ent situation;  and  with  that  impression,  walked 


W- 


i 


%. 


OF   A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


59 


em,  to 
Q  was 
direc- 
m  that 
LgstafF 
ships 
dfrom 
)  ther- 
^ithout 
nsions 
a  most 
escend 
I  since 
ttempt 
2xperi- 
ppoint- 
'  them, 
)bserv- 
to  the 
is  par- 
to  the 
rporal 
tthey 
eaving 
ything 
bllow- 
taffat 
party 
ted,  in 
ecting 
mailer 
at  a 
pres- 
ralked 


away  in  a  contrary  direction,  accompanied  by  two 
of  his  men.  The  other  four,  who  had  now  return- 
ed (of  whom  two  were  already  much  debilitated), 
determined  to  make  for  the  flagstaff.  When  they 
had  walked  some  distance  and  were  enabled  to  as- 
certain what  it  was,  one  of  them  endeavoured  to 
overtake  Mr.  Fife,  but  was  too  much  fatigued,  and 
returned  to  his  comrades.  They  halted  during  a 
part  of  the  night,  made  a  sort  of  hut  of  stones  and 
turf  to  shelter  them  from  the  weather,  and  kindled 
a  Uttle  fire  with  gunpowder  and  moss  to  warm  their 
feet ;  they  had  never  been  in  actual  want  of  food, 
having  lived  upon  raw  grouse,  of  which  they  were 
enabled  to  obtain  a  quantity  sufficient  for  their  sub- 
sistence. In  the  morning  they  once  more  set  for- 
ward towards  the  flagstaff,  which  they  reached 
within  three  or  four  hours  after  Lieutenant  Beech- 
ey  had  left  some  provisions  on  the  spot ;  having 
eaten  some  bread,  and  drunk  a  little  rum  and  wa- 
ter, a  mixture  which  they  described  as  perfectly 
tasteless  and  clammy,  they  renewed  their  journey 
towards  the  ships,  and  had  not  proceeded  far,  when, 
notwithstanding  the  snow  which  was  constantly  fall- 
ings they  met  with  footsteps  which  directed  them 
to  Mr.  Nias  and  his  party,  by  whom  they  were 
conducted  to  the  ships. 

The  account  they  gave  us  of  Mr.  Fife  and  his 
two  companions  led  us  to  believe  that  we  should 
find  them,  if  still  living,  at  a  considerable  distance 
to  the  westward  ;  and  some  parties  were  just  about 
to  set  out  in  that  direction,  when  the  trouble  and 
anxiety  which  this  mistake  would  have  occasioned 
us  were  prevented  by  the  arrival  of  another  of  the 
searching  parties,  with  the  information  that  Mr. 


hk'i 


J  I'lili  fflli  ' 

i    i. I  """""■"■ 


il>i 


'  m 


i 

■   ■-  1 


!  lllilil 
I  li 


1 


»    ^ 


1^4 


(< 


l!iii!l 


wMH 


'i"! 


60 


VOYAGE   FOR  THE  DISCOVERT 


Fife  and  the  two  men  were  on  their  way  to  the 
ships,  being  about  five  miles  to  the  eastward. 
Some  fresh  hands  were  immediately  sent  to  bring 
them  in,  and  they  arrived  on  board  at  ten  P.M.,  af- 
ter an  absence  of  ninety-one  hours,  and  having 
been  exposed  during  three  nights  to  the  inclemen- 
cy of  the  first  wintry  weather  we  had  experienced. 
Almost  the  whole  of  this  party  were  much  exhaust- 
ted  by  cold  and  fatigue,  and  several  of  them  were 
severely  frostbitten  in  their  toes  and  fingers ;  but, 
by  the  skill  and  unremitted  attention  of  our  medi- 
cal  gentlemen,  they  were  in  a  few  days  enabled  to 
return  to  their  duty. 

At  three  A.M.  of  Tuesday,  the  14th,  the  ther- 
mometer fell  to  9° ;  and  from  this  time  the  com- 
mencement of  winter  may  fairly  be  dated.  On 
the  20th  I  considered  it  a  duty  incumbent  upon  me 
to  call  for  the  opinions  of  the  senior  officers  of  the 
expedition  as  to  the  expediency  of  immediately 
seeking  a  harbour  in  which  the  ships  might  se- 
curely  lie  during  the  ensuing  winter.  The  opin- 
ions of  the  officers  entirely  concurring  with  my 
own  as  to  the  propriety  of  immediately  resorting 
to  this  measure,  I  determined,  whenever  the  ice 
and  the  weather  would  allow,  to  run  back  to  the 
bay  of  the  Hecla  and  Griper,  in  which  neighbour- 
hood alone  we  had  any  reason  to  believe  that  a  suit- 
able harbour  might  be  found. 

At  half  past  two  on  the  morning  of  the  22d, 
the  night  signal  was  made  to  weigh,  and  we  began 
to  heave  at  our  cables  ;  but  such  was  the  difficulty 
of  raising  our  anchor  and  of  hauling  in  our  haw- 
sers, owing  to  the  stiffiiess  of  the  ropes  from  frost 
and  the  quantity  of  ice  which  had  accumulated 


''11 


OP  A   NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


61 


to  the 
itward. 
)  bring 
.M.,  af- 
having 
jlemen- 
ienced. 
xhaust- 
m  were 
s;  but, 
r  medi- 
tbled  tc 

le  ther- 

le  com- 

d.     On 

ipon  me 

s  of  the 

idiately 

ght  se- 

e  opin- 

ith  my 

sorting 

the  ice 

to  the 

hbour- 

a  suit- 

ie  22d, 
begaa 
Ifficulty 
\r  haw- 
frost 
lulated 


1 


%..: 


^^ 


about  them,  that  it  was  five  o'clock  before  the  ships 
were  under  way.  Our  rudder,  also,  was  so  choked 
by  the  ice  which  had  formed  about  it.  that  it  could 
not  be  moved  till  a  boat  had  been  hauled  under  the 
stern,  and  the  ice  beaten  and  cut  away  from  it. 
We  ran  along  to  the  eastward  without  any  obstruc- 
tion, in  a  channel  about  five  miles  wide,  till  we  were 
within  four  or  five  miles  of  Cape  Hearne,  where 
the  bay-ice,  in  unbroken  sheets  of  about  one  third 
of  an  inch  in  thickness,  began  to  offer  considerable 
impediment  to  our  progress.  We  at  length,  how- 
ever, struck  soundings  with  twenty-nine  fathoms  of 
line,  and  at  eight  P.M.  anchored  in  nine  fathoms, 
on  a  muddy  bottom,  a  little  to  the  eastward  of  our 
situation  on  the  5th. 

In  going  to  the  westward  we  passed  a  shoal  and 
open  bay,  immediately  adjacent  to  the  harbour 
which  we  were  now  about  to  examine,  and  soon 
after  came  to  a  reef  of  rocks,  in  some  parts  nearly 
dry,  extending  about  three  quarters  of  a  mile  to 
the  southward  of  a  low  point  on  the  southeastern 
side  of  the  harbour.  On  rounding  the  reef,  on 
which  a  quantity  of  heavy  ice  was  lying  aground, 
we  found  that  a  continuous  floe,  four  or  five  inches 
in  thickness,  was  formed  over  the  whole  harbour, 
which  in  every  other  respect  appeared  to  be  fit 
for  our  purpose ;  and  that  it  would  be  necessary  to 
cut  a  canal  of  two  miles  in  length  through  the  ice, 
in  order  to  get  the  ships  into  a  secure  situation  for 
the  winter.  We  sounded  the  channel  into  the  har- 
bour for  about  three  quarters  of  a  mile,  by  making 
holes  in  the  ice  and  dropping  the  lead  through,  and 
found  the  depth  from  five  to  six  fathoms. 

The  ships  weighed  at  six  A.M.  on  the  24th,  the 

Vol.  I.— F 


m 


m 


'Iff, 


III. 


U 


a 


w^\ 


'1 


1 1 1 


'      M 


»•. 


62 


VOYAGE   FOR   THE   DISCOVERY 


wind  being  still  at  north,  and  the  weather  moderate 
and  fine.  As  soon  as  the  Hecla  was  under  sail, 
I  went  ahead  in  a  boat  to  sound,  and  to  select  an 
anchorage  for  the  ships.  Near  the  southwestern 
point  of  this  harbour  there  is  a  remarkable  block 
of  sandstone,  somewhat  resembling  the  roof  of  a 
house,  on  which  the  ships  names  were  subsequently 
engraved  by  Mr.  Fisher.  This  stone  is  very  con- 
spicuous in  coming  from  the  eastward,  and,  when 
kept  open  to  the  southward  of  the  grounded  ice  at 
the  end  of  the  reef,  forms  a  good  landing-mark  for 
the  channel  into  the  harbour.  Off  the  end  of  the 
reef  the  water  deepened  to  six  fathoms,  and  the 
Hecla's  anchor  was  dropped  in  eight  fathoms,  half 
a  mile  within  the  reef,  and  close  to  the  edge  of  the 
ice  through  which  the  canal  was  to  be  cut.  The 
Griper  arrived  soon  after,  and  by  half  past  eight 
A.M.  both  ships  were  secured  in  the  proper  posi- 
tion for  commencing  the  intended  operations. 

As  soon  as  our  people  had  breakfasted,  I  pro- 
ceeded with  a  small  party  of  men  to  sound  and  to 
mark  with  boarding-pikes  upon  the  ice  the  most 
direct  channel  we  could  find  to  the  anchorage, 
having  left  directions  for  eveiy  other  officer  and 
man  in  both  ships  to  be  employed  in  cutting  the 
canal.  This  operation  was  performed  by  first 
marking  out  two  parallel  lines,  distant  from  each 
other  a  little  more  than  the  breadth  of  the  larger 
ship.  Along  each  of  these  lines  a  cut  was  then 
made  with  an  ice  saw,  and  others  again  at  right 
angles  to  them,  at  intervals  of  from  ten  to  twenty 
feet ;  thus  dividing  the  ice  into  a  number  of  square 
pieces,  which  it  was  again  necessary  to  subdivide 
diagonally,  in  order  to  give  room  for  their  being 


I 


^•^ 


OF   A   NORTHWEST   PASSAGE, 


63 


loderate 
der  sail, 
elect  an 
iwestern 
le  block 
3of  of  a 
3quently 
ery  con- 
d,  when 
ed  ice  at 
nark  for 
d  of  the 
and  the 
>ms,  half 
^e  of  the 
t.  The 
LSt  eight 
er  posi- 
ns. 

i,  I  pro- 

1  and  to 

le  most 

;horage, 

3er  and 

ing  the 

)y   first 

n  each 

larger 

IS  then 

t  right 

twenty 

square 

bdivide 

'  being 


1 


I 


floated  out  of  the  canal.  On  returning  from  the 
upper  part  of  the  harbour,  where  I  had  marked 
out  what  appeared  to  be  the  best  situation  for  our 
winter-quarters,  I  found  that  considerable  progress 
had  been  made  in  cutting  the  canal  and  in  floating 
the  pieces  out  of  it.  To  facilitate  the  latter  part 
of  the  process,  the  seamen,  who  are  always  fond 
of  doing  things  in  their  own  way,  took  advantage 
of  a  fresh  northerly  breeze,  by  setting  some  boats' 
sails  upon  the  pieces  of  ice,  a  contrivance  which 
saved  both  time  and  labour.  This  part  of  the  op- 
eration, however,  was  i  ?y  far  the  most  troublesome, 
principally  on  account  of  the  quantity  of  young 
ice  which  formed  in  the  canal,  <,nd  especially  about 
the  entrance,  where,  before  sunset,  v  had  become 
so  thick  that  a  passage  could  no  longer  be  found 
for  the  detached  pieces  withou :  considerable  trouble 
in  breaking  it.  At  half  past  se  ven  P.  M.  we  weighed 
our  anchors  and  began  to  warp  up  the  canal,  but 
the  northerly  wind  blew  so  fresh,  and  the  people 
were  so  much  fatigued,  having  been  almost  r.on- 
stantly  at  work  for  nineteen  hours,  that  it  was  mid- 
night before  we  reached  the  termination  of  our 
first  day's  labour. 

All  hands  were  again  set  to  work  on  the  morning 
of  the  25th,  when  it  w  as  proposed  to  sink  the  pieces 
of  ice,  as  they  were  cut,  under  the  floe,  instead  of 
floating  them  out,  the  latter  mode  having  now  be- . 
come  impractica>  /e  on  account  of  the  lower  part 
of  the  canal,  through  which  the  ships  had  passed, 
being  hard  frozen  during  the  night.  To  effect  this, 
it  was  necessary  for  a  certain  number  of  men  to 
stand  upon  one  end  of  the  piece  of  ice  which  it 
was  intended  to  sink,  while  other  parties,  hauling 


■•15- 


L''. 


64 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVEKY 


at  the  same  time  upon  ropes  attached  to  the  oppo- 
site end,  dragged  the  block  under  that  part  of  the 
floe  on  which  the  people  stood.  The  oflicers  of 
both  ships  took  the  lead  in  this  employ,  several  of 
them  standing  up  to  their  knees  in  water  frequently 
during  the  day,  with  the  thermometer  generally  at 
12°,  and  never  higher  than  16°.  At  six  P.M.  we 
began  to  move  the  ships.  The  Griper  was  made 
fast  astern  of^the  Hecla,  and  the  two  ships'  com. 
panics  being  divided  on  each  bank  of  the  canal, 
with  ropes  from  the  Hecla's  gangways,  soon  drew 
the  ships  along  to  the  end  of  our  second  day's 
work. 

Sunday,  26th. — I  should  on  every  account  have 
been  glad  to  make  this  a  day  of  rest  to  the  officers 
and  men ;  but  the  rapidity  with  which  the  ice  in. 
creased  in  thickness,  in  proportion  as  the  general 
temperature  of  the  atmosphere  diminished,  would 
have  rendered  a  day's  delay  of  serious  importance. 
I  ordered  the  work,  therefore,  to  be  continued  at  the 
usual  time  in  the  morning  ;  and  such  was  the  spir. 
ited  and  cheerful  manner  in  which  this  order  was 
complied  with,  as  well  as  the  skill  which  had  now 
been  acquired  in  the  art  of  sawing  and  sinking  the 
ice,  that  although  the  thermometer  was  at  6°  in 
the  morning,  and  rose  no  higher  than  9°  during 
the  day,  we  had  completed  the  canal  at  noon,  hav- 
ing effected  more  in  four  hours  than  on  either  of 
the  two  preceding  days.  The  whole  length  of  this 
canal  was  four  thousand  and  eighty-two  yards,  or 
nearly  two  miles  and  one  third,  and  the  average 
thicknoHS  of  the  ice  was  seven  inches. 

At  half  past  one  P.M.  we  began  to  track  the 
ships  along  in  the  same  manner  vta  before,  and  at 


OF   A   NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


65 


.f" 


lie  oppo- 
t  of  the 
icers  of 
veral  of 
3quently 
erally  at 
\M.  we 
SIS  made 
s'  com- 
s  canal, 
on  drew 
id  day's 

int  have 
I  officers 
3  ice  in- 
general 
f  would 
jrtance. 
)d  at  the 
he  spir* 
er  was 
d  now 
ing  the 
It  6°  in 
during 
|n,  hav- 
Ither  of 
of  this 
irds,  or 
[verage 

;k  the 
land  at 


.J 


a  quarter  past  three  we  reached  our  winter-quar- 
ters, and  hailed  the  event  with  three  loud  and 
hearty  cheers  from  both  ships'  companies.  The 
ships  were  in  five  fathoms  water,  a  cable's  length 
from  the  beach  on  the  northwestern  side  of  the 
harbour,  to  which  I  gave  the  name  of  Winter 
Harbour  ;  and  I  called  the  group  of  islands  which 
we  had  discovered  in  the  Polar  Sea  the  North 
Georgian  Islands. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Precautions  for  securing  the  Ships  and  Stores. — For  promoting 
Good  Order,  Cleanhness,  Health,  and  Good-Humour  among 
the  Ships'  Companies. — Establishment  of  a  Theatre  and  of 
the  North  Georgia  Gazette. — Erection  of  an  Observatory  on 
Shore. — Commence  our  Winter's  Amusements.— State  of  the 
Temperature,  and  various  Meteorological  Phenomena. — Mis- 
cellaneous Occurrences  to  the  close  of  the  year  1819. 

Having,  on  the  19th  October,  reached  the  sta- 
tion where,  in  all  probability,  we  were  destined  to 
remain  for  at  least  eight  or  nine  months,  during 
three  of  which  we  were  not  to  sec  the  face  of  the 
sun,  my  attention  was  immediately  and  imperiously 
called  to  various  important  duties ;  many  of  them 
of  a  singular  nature,  such  as  had,  for  the  first  time, 
dovolved  on  any  officer  in  his  majesty's  navy,  and 
might,  indeed,  be  considered  of  rare  occurrence  in 
the  whole  history  of  navigation.  The  security  of 
the  ships  and  the  preservation  of  the  various  stores 
were  objects  of  immediate  concern.     A  regular 

F2 


m 

¥ 


I 


■■1  i 


? 


$ 


3 


66 


VOYAGE   FOR  THE   DISCOVERY 


1 1 


|i  A     1'^ 


system  to  be  adopted  for  the  maintenance  of  good 
order  and  cleanliness,  as  most  conducive  to  the 
health  of  the  crews  during  the  long,  dark,  and 
dreary  winter,  equally  demanded  my  attention. 

Not  a  moment  was  lost,  therefore,  in  the  com- 
mencement of  our  operations.  The  whole  of  the 
masts  were  dismantled  except  the  lower  ones  and 
the  Hecla's  main-topmast ;  the  lower  yards  were 
lashed  fore  and  aft  amidships,  to  support  the  planks 
of  the  housing  intended  to  be  erected  over  the 
ships  ;  and  the  whole  of  this  framework  was  after- 
ward roofed  over  with  a  cloth.  The  boats,  spars, 
running  rigging,  and  sails  were  removed  on  shore ; 
and,  as"  soon  as  the  ships  were  secured  and  housed 
over,  my  whole  attention  was  directed  to  the  health 
and  comfort  of  the  officers  and  men.  The  surgeon 
reported  that  not  the  slightest  disposition  to  scurvy 
had  shown  itself  in  either  ship. 

Soon  after  our  arrival  in  Winter  Harbour,  when 
the  temperature  of  the  atmosphere  had  fallen  con- 
siderably below  zero  of  Fahrenheit,  we  found  that 
the  steam  from  the  coppers,  as  well  as  the  breath 
and  other  vapour  generated  in  the  inhabited  parts 
of  the  ship,  began  to  condense  into  drops  upon  tha 
beams  and  the  sides,  to  such  a  degree  as  to  keep 
them  constantly  wet.  In  order  to  remove  this  se- 
rious  evil,  a  large  stone  oven,  cased  with  cast  iron, 
in  which  all  our  bread  was  baked  during  the  win. 
ter,  was  placed  on  the  main  hatchway,  and  the 
stovepipe  led  fore  and  aft  on  one  side  of  the  lower 
deck,  the  smoke  being  thus  carried  up  the  fore 
hatchway.  On  the  opposite  side  of  the  deck  an 
apparatus  had  been  attached  to  the  galley.range 
for  conveying  a  current  of  heated  air  between 


u\ 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


67 


1% 


f  good 
to  the 
k,  and 
ion. 


3  com- 


of  the 
168  and 
Is  were 
planks 
rer  the 
s  after- 
,  spars, 
shore ; 
housed 
i  health 
urgeon 
scurvy 

,  when 
3n  con- 
id  that 
breath 

parts 
)on  the 

keep 
nis  se- 
st  iron, 
e  win- 
nd  the 

lower 
e  fore 
ok  an 
'  range 
jtween 


decks.  This  apparatus  simply  consisted  of  an  iron 
box,  about  fifteen  inches  square,  through  which 
passed  three  pipes  of  two  inches  diameter,  com- 
municating below  with  the  external  air,  and  uniting 
above  in  a  metal  box,  fixed  to  the  side  of  the  gal- 
ley-range; to  this  box  a  copper  stovepipe  was  at- 
tached, and  conveyed  to  the  middle  part  of  the 
lower  deck.  When  a  fire  was  made  under  the 
air-vessel,  the  air  became  heated  in  its  passage 
through  the  three  pipes,  from  which  it  was  con- 
veyed through  the  stovepipe  to  the  men's  berths. 
While  this  apparatus  was  in  good  order,  a  moder. 
ate  fire  produced  a  current  of  air  of  the  tempera- 
ture of  870,  at  the  distance  of  seventeen  feet  from 
the  fireplace ;  and  with  a  pipe  of  wood,  or  any 
other  imperfect  conductor  of  heat,  which  would  not 
allow  of  its  escaping  by  the  way,  it  might  undoubt- 
edly be  carried  to  a  much  greater  distance.  By 
these  means  we  were  enabled  to  get  rid  of  the 
moisture  about  the  berths  where  the  people  messed ; 
but  when  the  weather  became  more  severely  cold, 
it  still  accumulated  in  the  bed  places  occasionally 
to  a  serious  and  very  alarming  degree.  Among 
the  means  employed  to  prevent  the  injurious  effects 
arising  from  this  annoyance,  one  of  the  most  eflfi- 
cacious,  perhaps,  was  a  screen  made  of  fearnaught, 
fixed  to  the  beams  round  the  galley,  and  dropping 
within  eighteen  inches  of  the  deck,  which  served 
to  intercept  the  steam  from  the  coppers,  and  pre- 
vent it,  as  before,  from  curling  along  the  beams,  and 
condensing  upon  them  into  drops. 

For  the  preservation  of  health,  and  as  a  necessa- 
ry measure  of  economy,  a  few  alterations  were 
made  in  the  quantity  and  quality  of  the  provisions 


ifli 


ii;: 


I 


iP 


«, 


1 


68 


VOYAGE  FOR   THE   DISCOVERY 


issued.     I  directed  the  allowance  of  bread  to  be 
permanently  reduced  to  two  thirds,  a  precaution 
which,  perhaps,  it  would  have  been  as  well  to  adopt 
from  the  commencement  of  the  voyage.     A  pound 
of  preserved  meat,  together  with  one  pint  of  vege- 
table or  concentrated  soup  per  man,  was  substituted 
for  one  pound  of  salt  beef  weekly ;  a  proportion 
of  beer  and  wine  was  served  in  lieu  of  spirits  ;  and 
a  small  quantity  of  sourkrout  and  pickles,  with  as 
much  vinegar  as  could  be  used,  was  issued  at  reg- 
ular intervals.     The  daily  proportion  of  lime-juice 
and  sugar  was  mixed  together,  and  with  a  proper 
quantity  of  water,  was  drunk  by  each  man  in  pres- 
ence of  an  officer  appointed  to  attend  to  this  duty. 
This  latter  precaution  may  appear  to  have  been 
unnecessary  to   those   who  are   not  aware  how 
much  sailors  resemble  children  in  all  those  points  in 
which  their  own  health  and  comfort  are  concerned. 
Whenever  any  game  was  procured,  it  was  direct- 
ed to  be  invariably  served  in  lieu  of,  and  not  in  ad- 
dition to,  the  established  allowance  of  other  meat, 
except  in  a  few  extraordinary  cases,  when  such  an 
indulgence  was  allowed ;  and  in  no  one  instance, 
either  in  quantity  or  quality,  was  the  slightest  pref- 
erence given  to  the  officers. 

Great  attention  was  paid  to  the  clothing  of  the 
men,  and  one  day  in  the  week  was  appointed  for 
the  examination  of  the  men's  shins  and  gums  by 
the  medical  gentlemen,  in  order  that  any  slight  ap- 
pearance  of  the  scurvy  might  at  once  be  detected, 
and  checked  by  timely  and  adequate  means. 

Under  circumstances  of  leisure  and  inactivity, 
such  as  we  were  now  placed  in,  and  with  every 
prospect  of  its  continuance  for  a  very  largo  portion 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


69 


of  the  year,  I  was  desirous  of  finding  some  amuse- 
ment for  the  men  during  this  long  and  tedious  in- 
terval. I  proposed,  therefore,  to  the  officers  to  get 
up  a  play  occasionally  on  hoard  the  Hecla,  as  the 
readiest  means  of  preserving  among  our  crews  that 
cheerfulness  and  good-humour  which  had  hitherto 
subsisted.  In  this  proposal  I  was  readily  seconded 
by  the  officers  of  both  ships ;  and  Lieutenant  Beech- 
ey  having  been  duly  elected  as  stage-manager, 
our  first  performance  was  fixed  for  the  5th  of  No- 
vember, to  the  great  delight  of  the  ships'  compa- 
nies. In  these  amusements  I  gladly  undertook  a 
part  myself,  considering  that  an  example  of  cheer- 
fulness, by  giving  a  direct  countenance  to  every- 
thing that  could  contribute  to  it,  was  not  the  least 
essential  part  of  my  duty,  under  the  peculiar  cir- 
cumstances in  which  we  were  placed. 

In  order  still  farther  to  promote  good-humour 
among  ourselves,  as  well  as  to  furnish  amusing  oc- 
cupation during  the  hours  of  constant  darkness, 
we  set  on  foot  a  weekly  newspaper,  which  was  to 
be  called  the  North  Georgia  Gazette  and  Winter 
Chronicle,  and  of  which  Captain  Sabine  undertook 
to  be  the  editor,  under  the  promise  that  it  was  to 
be  supported  by  original  contributions  from  the  of- 
ficers of  the  two  ships :  and  I  can  safely  say,  that 
the  weekly  contributions  had  the  happy  effect  of 
employing  the  leisure  hours  of  those  who  furnish- 
ed them,  and  of  diverting  the  mind  from  the  gloomy 
prospect  which  would  sometimes  obtrude  itself  on 
the  stoutest  heart. 

Immediately  on  our  arrival  in  harbour.  Captain 
Sabine  had  employed  himself  in  selecting  a  place 
for  the  observatory,  which  was  erected  in  a  conve- 


m 


M' 

t* 


'  -4 


70 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE   DISCOVERY 


\  > 


r'"l 


m 


nient  spot,  about  seven  hundred  yards  to  the  west- 
ward  of  the  ships.  It  was  also  considered  advisa- 
ble immediately  to  set  about  building  a  house  near 
the  beach  for  the  reception  of  the  clocks  and  in- 
struments. For  this  purpose  we  made  use  of  a 
quantity  of  fir-plank,  which  was  intended  for  the 
construction  of  spare  boats,  and  which  was  so  cut 
as  not  to  injure  it  for  that  purpose.  The  ground 
was  so  hard  frozen  that  it  required  great  labour  to 
dig  holes  for  the  upright  posts  which  formed  the 
support  of  the  sides.  The  walls  of  this  house  be- 
ing double,  with  moss  placed  between  the  two,  a 
high  temperature  could,  even  in  the  severest  weath- 
er which  we  might  be  doomed  to  experience,  be 
kept  up  in  it  witiiout  difficulty  by  a  single  stove. 

After  our  arrival  in  port  we  saw  several  rein- 
deer  and  a  few  coveys  of  grouse  ;  but  the  country 
is  so  destitute  of  everything  like  cover  of  any  kind, 
that  our  sportsmen  were  not  successful  in  their 
hunting  excursions,  and  we  procured  only  three 
reindeer  previous  to  the  migration  of  these  and  the 
other  animals  from  the  island,  which  took  place 
before  the  close  of  the  month  of  October,  leaving 
only  the  wolves  and  foxes  to  bear  us  company  du- 
ring the  winter.  The  full-grown  deer  which  we 
killed  in  the  autumn,  gave  us  from  one  hundred 
and  twenty  to  one  hundred  and  seventy  pounds  of 
meat  each,  and  a  fa^vn  weighed  eighty. four  pounds. 

On  the  1st  of  October,  Captain  Sabine's  servant 
having  been  at  some  distance  from  the  ships  to 
examine  a  fox-trap,  was  pursued  by  a  large  white 
bear,  which  followed  his  footsteps  the  whole  way 
to  the  ships,  where  lie  was  wounded  by  several 
balls,  but  made  his  escape  after  all.     This  bear, 


»£T^i 


OF   A   NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


71 


WB; 


rem- 
juntry 
f  kind, 
their 
three 
d  the 
place 
aving 
y  du. 
h  we 

I  red 
ids  of 
iunds. 
irvant 
Ips  to 
Iwhite 

way 
[veral 
bear. 


which  was  the  only  one  we  saw  during  our  stay  in 
W  inter  Harbour,  was  observed  to  be  more  purely 
white  than  any  we  had  before  seen,  the  colour  of 
these  animals  being  generally  that  of  a  dirtyish 
yellow  when  contrasted  with  the  whiteness  of  the 
ice  and  snow. 

Some  deer  being  seen  near  the  ships  on  the  10th, 
a  party  was  despatched  after  them,  some  of  whom 
having  wounded  a  stag,  and  being  led  on  by  the 
ardour  of  pursuit,  forgot  my  order  that  every  per- 
son should  be  on  board  before  sunset,  and  did  not 
return  till  late,  after  we  had  suffered  much  appre- 
hension on  their  account.  John  Pearson,  a  marine 
?3elonging  to  the  Griper,  who  was  the  last  that  re- 
turned on  board,  l\ad  his  hands  severely  frostbit- 
ten, having  imprudently  gone  away  without  mit- 
tens, and  with  a  musket  in  his  hand.  A  party  of 
our  people  most  providentially  found  him,  although 
the  night  was  very  dark,  just  as  he  had  fallen  down 
a  steep  bank  of  snow,  and  was  beginning  to  feel 
that  degree  of  torpor  and  drowsiness  which,  if  in- 
dulged, inevitably  proves  fatal.  When  he  was 
brought  on  board  his  fingers  were  quite  stiff,  and 
bent  into  the  shape  of  that  part  of  the  musket 
which  he  had  been  carrying ;  and  the  frost  had  so 
far  destroyed  the  animation  in  his  fingers  on  one 
hand,  that  it  was  necessary  to  amputate  three  of 
them  a  short  time  after,  notwithstanding  all  the  care 
and  attention  paid  to  him  by  the  medical  gentle- 
men. The  effect  which  exposure  to  severe  frost 
has  in  benumbing  the  mental  as  well  as  the  corpo- 
real faculties,  was  very  striking  in  this  man,  as 
well  as  in  two  of  the  young  gentlemen  who  return- 
ed  after  dark,  and  of  whom  we  were  anxious  to 


:  v-i, 


.)  t* 


1 1' 


72 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERT 


make  inquiries  respecting  Pearson.  When  I  sent 
for  them  into  my  cabin,  they  looked  wild,  spoke 
thick  and  indistinctly,  and  it  was  impossible  to  draw 
from  them  a  rational  answer  to  any  of  our  ques- 
tions. After  being  on  board  for  a  short  time,  the 
mental  faculties  appeared  gradually  to  return  with 
the  returning  circulation,  and  it  was  not  till  then 
that  a  looker-on  could  easily  persuade  himself  that 
they  had  not  been  drinking  too  freely.  In  order  to 
guard  in  some  measure  against  the  danger  of  per- 
sons losing  their  way,  which  was  more  and  more 
to  be  apprehended  as  the  days  became  shorter  and 
the  ground  more  covered  with  snow,  which  gives 
such  a  dreary  sameness  to  the  country,  we  erected 
on  all  the  hills  within  two  or  three  miles  of  the  har- 
bour, finger-posts  pointing  towards  the  ships. 

I  have  before  remarked  that  all  the  water  which 
we  made  use  of  while  within  the  polar  circle  was 
procured  from  snow  either  naturally  or  artificially 
dissolved.  Soon  after  the  ships  were  laid  up  for 
the  winter,  it  was  necessary  to  have  recourse  en- 
tirely to  the  latter  process,  which  added  materially 
to  the  expenditure  of  fuel  during  the  winter  months. 
The  snow  for  this  purpose  was  dug  out  of  the  drifts 
which  had  formed  upon  the  ice  round  the  ships,  and 
dissolved  in  the  coppers.  We  found  it  necessary 
always  to  strain  the  water  thus  procured,  on  ac- 
count of  the  sand  which  the  heavy  snowdrifts 
brought  from  the  island,  after  which  it  was  quite 
pure  and  wholesome. 

On  the  16th  it  blew  a  strong  gale  from  the  north- 
ward,  accompanied  by  such  a  constant  snowdrift, 
that,  although  the  weather  was  quite  clear  over- 
head, the  boathouse  at  the  distance  of  three  or 


OF   A   NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


73 


I  sent 
spoke 
3  draw 
•  ques- 
le,  the 
n  with 

II  then 
jlf  that 
rder  to 
of  per- 
[  more 
;er  and 
1  gives 
jrected 
le  har- 
• 

which 

[le  was 

[icially 

up  for 

se  en- 

rially 

onths. 

drills 

Syand 

ssary 

n  ac- 

drifls 

quite 

lorth- 
rdrift, 
lover- 
ie  or 


four  hundred  yards  could  scarcely  be  seen  from  the 
ships.  On  such  occasions  no  person  was  permit- 
ted on  any  account  to  leave  the  ships.  Indeed, 
when  this  snowdrift  occurred,  as  it  frequently  did 
in  the  winter,  with  a  hard  gale  and  the  thermome- 
ter very  low,  I  believe  that  no  human  being  could 
have  remained  alive  after  an  hours'  exposure  to  it. 
In  order,  therefore,  to  secure  a  communication  be- 
tween tho  two  ships,  a  distance  not  exceeding  half 
a  cable's  length,  as  well  as  from  the  ships  to  the 
house  on  shore,  a  line  was  kept  extended,  as  a  guide 
from  one  to  the  other.  The  meridian  altitude  of 
the  sun  was  observed  this  day  by  an  artificial  hori- 
zon, which  I  noticed  from  the  circumstance  of  its 
being  the  last  time  we  had  an  opportunity  of  ob- 
serving it  for  about  four  months.  ' 

On  the  26th  the  sun  afforded  us  sufficient  light 
for  writing  and  reading  in  my  cabin,  the  stern- win- 
dows exactly  facing  the  south,  from  half  past  nine 
til]  half  past  two ;  for  the  rest  of  the  four-and-twen- 
ty  hours,  we  lived,  of  course,  by  candle-light.  No- 
thing  could  exceed  the  beauty  of  the  sky  to  the 
southeast  and  southwest  a*,  sunrise  and  sunset  about 
this  period  :  near  the  horizon  there  was  generally 
a  rich  bluish  purple  and  a  bright  arch  of  deep  red 
above,  the  one  mingling  imperceptibly  with  the 
other. 

It  now  became  rather  a  painful  experiment  to 
touch  any  metallic  substance  in  the  open  air  with 
the  naked  hand ;  the  feeling  produced  by  it  exactly 
resembling  that  occasioned  by  the  opposite  extreme 
of  intense  heat,  and  taking  off  the  skin  from  the 
part  affected.  We  found  it  necessary,  therefore,  to 
use  great  caution  in  handling  our  sextants  and  oth- 

Vol.  I.— G 


■Ml 


I 


74 


VOYAGE   FOR   THE   DISCOVERY 


er  instruments,  particularly  the  eye-pieces  of  tele- 
scopes, which,  if  suffered  to  touch  the  face,  occa- 
sioned an  intense  burning  pain  ;  but  this  was  easily 
remedied  by  covering  them  over  with  soft  leather. 
Another  effect,  with  regard  to  the  use  of  instru- 
ments, began  to  appear  about  this  time.  Whenev- 
er any  instrument  which  had  been  some  time  ex- 
posed to  the  atmosphere,  so  as  to  be  cooled  down 
to  the  same  temperature,  was  suddenly  brought  be- 
low into  the  cabins,  the  vapour  was  instantly  con- 
densed all  around  it,  so  as  to  give  the  instrument 
the  appearance  of  smoking,  and  the  glasses  were 
covered  almost  instantly  with  a  thin  coating  of  ice, 
the  removal  of  which  required  great  caution,  to 
prevent  the  risk  of  injuring  them,  until  it  had  grad- 
ually thawed,  as  they  acquired  the  temperature  of 
the  cabin.  When  a  candle  was  placed  in  a  certain 
direction  from  the  instrument  with  respect  to  the 
observer,  a  number  of  very  minute  spicula  of  snow 
Were  also  seen  sparkling  around  the  instrument,  at 
the  distance  of  two  or  three  inches  from  it,  occa- 
sioned, as  we  supposed,  by  the  cold  atmosphere 
produced  by  the  low  temperature  of  the  instrument 
almost  instantaneously  congealing  into  that  form 
the  vapour  which  floated  in  its  immediate  neigh- 
bourhood. 

The  4th  of  November  being  the  last  day  that  the 
sun  would,  independently  of  the  effects  of  refrac- 
tion, be  seen  above  our  horizon  till  the  8th  of  Feb- 
ruary, an  interval  of  ninety-six  days,  it  was  a  mat- 
ter of  considerable  regret  to  us  that  the  weather 
about  this  time  was  not  sufficiently  clear  to  allow 
us  to  see  and  make  observations  on  the  disappear- 
ance  of  that  luminary,  in  order  that  something 


1 
4 


m 


OF   A   NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


76 


)f  tele- 
,  occa- 
j  easily 
Bather, 
instru- 
henev- 
me  ex- 
l  down 
ghtbe- 
ly  con- 
rument 
s  were 
of  ice, 
ion,  to 
d  grad- 
ture  of 
certain 
to  the 
f  snow 
lent,  at 
occa- 
sphere 
"ument 
form 
neigh- 

lat  the 
[■efrac- 

Feb. 

mat- 
iather 
allow 
)pear- 
Jthing 


i 


might  be  attempted  towards  determining  the  amount 
of  the  atmospheric  refraction  at  a  low  temperature. 
But  though  we  were  not  permitted  to  take  a  last 
farewell,  for  at  least  three  months,  of  that  cheering 
orb,  "  of  this  great  world  both  eye  and  soul,"  we 
nevertheless  felt  that  this  day  constituted  an  im- 
portant and  memorable  epoch  in  our  voyage.  We 
had  some  time  before  set  about  the  preparations  for 
our  winter's  amusements  ;  and  the  theatre  being 
ready,  we  opened  on  the  5th  November,  with  the 
representation  of  Miss  in  her  Teens,  which  afford- 
ed to  the  men  such  a  fund  of  amusement  as  fully 
to  justify  the  expectations  we  had  formed  of  the 
utility  of  theatrical  entertainments  under  our  pres- 
sent  circumstances,  and  to  determine  me  to  follow 
them  up  at  stated  periods.  I  found,  indeed,  that 
even  the  occupation  of  fitting  up  the  theatre  and 
taking  it  to  pieces  again,  which  employed  a  num- 
ber of  the  men  for  a  day  or  two  before  and  after 
each  performance,  was  a  matter  of  no  little  im- 
portance, when  the  immediate  duties  of  the  ship 
appeared  by  no  means  sufficient  for  that  purpose ; 
for  I  dreaded  the  want  of  employment  as  one  of 
the  worst  evils  that  was  likely  to  befall  us. 

About  the  time  of  the  sun's  leaving  us,  the 
wolves  began  to  approach  the  ships  more  boldly, 
howling  most  piteously  on  the  beach  near  us,  some- 
times for  hours  together,  and  on  one  or  two  occa- 
sions coming  alongside  the  ships,  when  everything 
was  quiet  at  night ;  but  we  seldom  saw  more  than 
one  or  two  together,  and  therefore  could  form  no 
idea  of  their  number.  These  animals  were  always 
very  shy  of  coming  near  our  people ;  and  though 
evidently  suffering  much  from  hunger,  never  at- 


)    ■ 

■'(•■;,  ,# 


\     ^   ; 


11 


mm 


76 


VOYAGE   FOR   THE   DISCOVERY 


tempted  to  attack  any  of  the^n.  The  white  foxes 
used  also  to  visit  the  ships  a;  r.c'^^  pnd  one  of 
these  was  caught  in  a  trap  set  under  the  Griper's 
bows.  The  uneasiness  displayed  by  tiiis  beautiful 
little  animal  during  the  time  of  his  confinement, 
whenever  he  heard  the  howling  of  a  wolf  near  the 
ships,  impressed  us  with  the  opinion  that  the  latter 
is  in  the  habit  of  hunting  the  fox  as  his  pfey. 

The  temperature  of  the  atmosphere  having  about 
this  time  become  considerably  lower  than  before, 
the  cracking  of  the  timbers  was  very  frequent  and 
loud  for  a  time  ;  but  generally  ceased  altogether  in 
an  hour  or  two  after  this  fall  had  taken  place  in 
the  thermometer,  and  did  not  occur  again  at  the 
same  temperature  during  the  winter.  The  wind 
blowing  fresh  from  the  northward,  with  a  heavy 
snowdrift,  made  the  ship  very  cold  below ;  so  that 
the  breath  and  other  vapour  accumulated  during 
the  night  in  the  bed  places  and  upon  the  beams, 
and  then  immediately  froze ;  hence  it  often  occu- 
pied all  hands  for  two  or  three  hours  during  the 
day  to  scrape  the  ice  away,  in  order  to  prevent  the 
bedding  from  becoming  wet  by  the  increase  of 
temperature  occasioned  by  the  fires.  It  was  there- 
fore found  necessary  to  keep  some  of  the  fires  in 
between  decks  at  night,  when  the  thermometer  was 
below  — 15"  or  — 20°  in  the  open  air,  especially 
when  the  wind  was  high.  To  assist  in  keeping  the 
lower  decks  warm,  as  well  as  to  retard,  in  some 
slight  degree,  the  formation  of  ice  immediately  in 
contact  with  the  ships'  bends,  we  banked  the  snow 
up  against  their  sides  as  high  as  the  main  chains ; 
and  canvass  screens  were  nailed  round  all  the 
hatchways  on  the  lower  deck. 


m 


OF  A   NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


77 


mow 

ins; 

the 


The  stars  of  the  second  magnitude  in  Ursa  Ma- 
jor were  just  perceptible  to  the  naked  eye  a  Uttle 
after  noon  this  day,  and  the  Aurora  Borealis  ap- 
peared faintly  in  the  southwest  at  night.  About 
this  time  our  medical  gentlemen  began  to  remark 
the  extreme  difficulty  with  which  sores  of  every 
kind  healed ;  a  circumstance  that  rendered  it  the 
more  necessary  to  be  cautious  in  exposing  the  mea 
to  frostbites,  lest  the  long  inactivity  and  want  of 
exercise  during  the  cure  of  sores,  in  other  respects 
trifling,  should  produce  serious  effects  upon  the 
general  health  of  the  patients. 

During  the  following  fortnight  we  were  chiefly 
occupied  in  observing  various  phenomena  in  the 
heavens,  the  vivid  coruscations  of  the  Aurora  Bo- 
realis, the  falling  of  meteors,  and  in  taking  lunar 
distances ;  but  the  difficulty  of  making  observa- 
tions in  this  climate  is  inconceivably  great ;  on  one 
occasion  the  mercury  of  the  artificial  horizon  froze 
into  a  solid  mass. 

About  this  part  of  the  winter  we  began  to  ex- 
perience a  more  serious  inconvenience  from  the 
bursting  of  the  lemon-juice  bottles  by  frost,  the 
whole  contents  being  frequently  frozen  into  a  solid 
mass,  except  a  small  portion  of  highly  concentra- 
ted acid  in  the  centre,  which  in  most  instances  was 
found  to  have  leaked  out,  so  hat  when  the  ice  was 
thawed  it  was  Httle  better  than  water.  This  evil 
increased  to  a  very  alarming  degree  in  the  course 
of  the  winter :  some  cases  being  opened  in  which 
more  than  two  thirds  of  the  lemon-juice  was  thus 
destroyed,  and  the  remainder  rendered  nearly  in- 
efficient. 

It  was  at  first  supposed  that  this  accident  might 

G  2 


yV 


'til. 


'      <:<i. 


r^'A 


■^  t ' 


•fi:  i 


lii 


i    ! 


f'i 


M 


78 


VOYAGE    FOR   THE   DISCOVERY 


have  been  prevented  by  not  quite  filling  the  bottles ; 
but  it  was  afterward  found  that  the  corks  flying 
out  did  not  save  them  from  breaking.  We  ob- 
served that  the  greatest  damage  was  done  in  those 
cases  which  were  stowed  nearest  to  the  ship's  iide, 
and  we  therefore  removed  all  the  rest  amidships  ; 
a  precaution  which,  had  it  been  sooner  known  and 
adopted,  would  probably  have  prevented  at  least  a 
part  of  the  mischief.  The  vinegar  also  became 
frozen  in  the  casks  in  the  same  manner,  and  lost 
a  great  deal  of  its  acidity  when  thawed.  This  cir- 
cumstance conferred  an  additioiial  value  on  a  few 
gallons  of  very  highly  concentrated  vinegar,  which 
had  been  sent  out  on  trial  upon  this  and  the  pre- 
ceding voyage,  and  which,  when  mixed  with  six  or 
seven  times  its  own  quantity  of  water,  was  suffi- 
ciently acid  for  every  purpose.  This  vinegar, 
when  exposed  to  the  temperature  of  25°  below 
zero,  congealed  only  into  a  consistence  like  that  of 
the  thickest  honey,  but  was  never  sufficiently  hard 
to  break  any  vessel  which  contained  it.  There 
can  be  no  doubt,  therefore,  that  on  this  account,  as 
well  as  to  save  stowage,  this  kind  of  vinegar  should 
exclusively  be  used  in  these  regions  ;  and  for  simi- 
lar reasons  of  still  greater  importance,  the  lemon- 
juice  should  be  concentrated. 

We  had  now  reached  the  shortest  day,  Wednes- 
day, the  22d,  and  such  was  the  occupation  which 
we  had  hitherto  contrived  to  find  during  the  first 
half  of  our  long  and  gloomy  winter,  that  the  quick- 
ness with  which  it  had  come  upon  us  was  a  subject 
of  general  remark.  So  far,  indeed,  were  we  from 
wanting  that  occupation  of  which  I  had  been  ap- 
prehensive,  especially  among  the  men,  that  it  acci* 


III 


¥  -B 


1 


OF   A   NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


79 


Incs- 
^hich 
first 
lick- 
Dject 
from 
ap- 
icci- 


dentally  came  to  my  knowledge  about  this  period 
that  they  complained  of  not  having  time  to  mend 
their  clothes.  This  complaint  I  was  as  glad  to 
hear  as  desirous  to  rectify ;  and  I  therefore  ordered 
that,  in  future,  one  afternoon  in  each  week  should 
be  set  aside  for  that  particular  purpose. 

The  circumstances  of  our  situation  being  such 
as  have  never  before  occurred  to  the  crews  of  any 
of  his  majesty's  ships,  it  may  not,  perhaps,  be  con- 
sidered wholly  uninteresting  to  know  in  what  man- 
ner our  time  was  thus  so  fully  occupied  throughout 
the  long  and  severe  winter  which  it  was  our  lot 
to  experience,  and  particularly  during  a  three 
months'  interval  of  nearly  total  darkness. 

The  officers  and  quartermast(3rs  were  divided 
into  four  watches,  which  were  regularly  kept  as  at 
sea,  while  the  remainder  of  the  ships'  company 
were  allowed  to  enjoy  their  night's  rest  undisturb« 
ed.  The  hands  were  turned  up  at  a  quarter  before 
six,  and  both  decks  were  well  rubbed  with  stones 
and  warm  sand  before  eight  o'clock,  at  which  time, 
as  usual  at  soa,  both  officers  and  men  went  to 
breakfast.  Thi  ee  quarters  of  an  hour  being  al- 
lowed after  breakfast  for  the  men  to  prepare  them- 
selves for  muster,  we  then  beat  to  divisions  punc- 
tually at  a  quarter  p^st  nine,  when  every  person 
on  board  attended  on  the  quarter  deck,  and  a  strict 
inspection  of  the  men  took  place  as  to  their  per- 
sonal cleanliness,  and  the  good  condition,  as  well 
as  sufficient  warmth  of  their  clothing.  The  re- 
ports of  the  officers  having  been  made  to  me,  the 
people  were  then  allowed  to  walk  about,  or,  more 
usually,  to  run  round  the  upper  deck,  while  I  went 
down  to  examine  the  state  of  that  below.     The 


2  • ! 


•r  i  I 


if 


iS 


h 


.4 

-4 

4 

1 

1 
« 

• 

1 

A 

80 


VOYAGE   FOR   THE   DISCOVERY 


:1 


If     . 


state  of  this  deck  may  be  said,  indeed,  to  have  con- 
stituted the  chief  source  of  our  anxiety,  and  to  have 
occupied  by  far  the  greatest  share  of  our  attention 
at  this  period.  Whenever  any  dampness  appear- 
ed, or,  what  more  frequently  happened,  any  accu- 
mulation of  ice  had  taken  place  during  the  prece- 
ding night,  the  necessary  means  were  immediately 
adopted  for  removing  it ;  in  the  former  case  usu- 
ally by  rubbing  the  wood  with  cloths,  and  then  di- 
recting the  warm  airpipe  towards  the  place  ;  and 
in  the  latter  by  scraping  off  the  ice,  so  as  to  pre- 
vent its  wetting  the  deck  by  any  accidental  increase 
of  temperature.  In  this  respect  the  bed-places 
were  particularly  troublesome  ;  the  inner  partition, 
or  that  next  the  ship's  side,  being  almost  invariably 
covered  with  more  or  less  dampness  or  ice,  accord- 
ing to  the  temperature  of  the  deck  during  the  pre- 
ceding night.  This  inconvenience  might,  to  a 
great  degree,  have  been  avoided  by  a  sufficient 
quantity  of  fuel  to  keep  up  two  good  fires  on  the 
lower  deck  throughout  the  twenty-four  hours  ;  but 
our  stock  of  coals  would  by  no  means  permit  this, 
bearing  in  mind  the  possibility  of  our  spending  a 
second  winter  within  the  Arctic  circle ;  and  this 
comfort  could  only,  therefore,  be  allowed  on  a  few 
occasions  during  the  most  severe  part  of  the  win- 
ter. 

In  the  course  of  my  examination  of  the  lower 
deck  I  had  always  an  opportunity  of  seeing  those 
few  men  who  were  on  the  sick  list»  aiid  of  receiving 
from  Mr.  Edwards  a  report  of  their  respective 
cases ;  as  also  of  consulting  that  gentleman  as  to 
the  means  of  improving  the  warmth,  ventilation, 
and  general  comfort  of  the  inhabited  parts  of  tho 


I'li  W' 


OF   A    NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


81 


ij  : 


e  con- 
3  have 
ention 
ppear- 
accu- 
prece- 
iiately 
e  usu- 
len  di- 
i ;  and 
;o  pre- 
crease 
places 
ptition, 
iriably 
ccord- 
le  pre- 
to  a 
cient 
n  the 
;  but 
|it  this, 
ing  a 
id  this 
a  few 
win- 

I  lower 
those 
;iving 

lective 
as  to 

[atioiit 
)f  the 


ship.  Having  performed  this  duty,  we  returned  to 
the  upper  deck,  where  I  personally  inspected  the 
men  i  after  which  they  were  sent  out  to  walk  on 
shore,  when  the  weather  would  permit,  till  noon, 
when  they  returned  on  board  to  their  dinner. 
When  the  day  was  too  inclement  for  them  to  take 
this  exercise^  they  were  ordered  to  run  round  and 
round  the  deck,  keeping  step  to  the  tune  of  an  or- 
gan, or,  not  unfrequently,  to  a  song  of  their  own 
singing.  Among  the  men  were  a  few  who  did  not 
at  first  quite  like  this  systematic  mode  of  taking 
exercise  ;  but  when  they  found  that  no  plea  except 
that  of  illness  was  admitted  as  an  excuse,  they  not 
only  willingly  and  cheerfully  complied,  but  made  it 
the  occasion  of  much  humour  and  frolic  among 
themselves. 

The  officers,  who  dined  at  two  o'clock,  were  also 
in  the  habit  of  occupying  one  or  two  hours  in  the 
middle  of  the  day  in  rambling  on  shore,  even  in  our 
darkest  period,  except  when  a  fresh  wind  and  a 
heavy  snowdrift  confined  them  within  the  housing 
of  the  ships.  It  may  well  be  imagined  that,  at  this 
period,  there  was  but  little  to  be  met  with  in  our 
walks  on  shore  which  could  either  amuse  or  inter- 
est us.  The  necessity  of  not  exceeding  the  limited 
distance  of  one  or  two  miles,  lest  a  snowdrift, 
which  often  rises  very  suddenly,  should  prevent  our 
return,  added  considerably  to  the  dull  and  tedious 
monotony  which  day  after  day  presented  itself. 
To  the  southward  was  the  sea,  covered  with  one 
unbroken  surface  of  ice,  uniform  in  its  dazzling 
whiteness,  e.icept  that,  in  some  parts,  a  few  hum- 
mocks were  seen  thrown  up  somewhat  above  the 
general  level.     Nor  did  the  land  offer  much  greater 


2 1 II 


J 
J 

"3 

r 
.4 

A 
"I 

I 

..* 

;,r 

:•« 

:3' 


82 


VOYAGE   FOR  THE   DISCOVERY 


i!i 


1 

h 

i . 

1 

if 

lSi;ry ,. 

variety,  being  almost  entirely  covered  with  snow, 
except  here  and  there  a  brown  patch  of  bare  ground 
in  some  exposed  situations,  where  the  wind  had  not 
allowed  the  snow  to  remain.  When  viewed  from 
the  summit  of  the  neighbouring  hills,  on  one  of 
those  calm  and  clear  days  which  not  unfrequently 
occurred  during  the  winter,  the  scene  was  such  as 
to  induce  contemplations  which  had,  perhaps,  more 
of  melancholy  than  of  any  other  feeling.  Not  an 
object  was  to  be  seen  on  which  the  eye  could  long 
rest  with  pleasure,  unless  when  directed  to  the  spot 
where  our  ships  lay  and  where  our  little  colony  was 
planted.  The  smoke  which  there  issued  from  the 
several  fires,  affording  a  certain  indication  of  the 
presence  of  man,  gave  a  partial  cheerfulness  to  this 
part  of  the  prospect ;  and  the  sound  of  voices, 
which,  during  the  cold  weather,  could  be  heard  at 
a  much  greater  distance  than  usual,  served  now  and 
then  to  break  the  silence  which  reigned  around  us; 
a  silence  far  different  from  that  peaceable  compo- 
sure which  characterizes  the  landscape  of  a  culti- 
vated country ;  it  was  the  deathlike  stillness  of 
the  most  dreary  desolation,  and  the  total  absence 
of  animated  existence.  Such,  indeed,  was  the  want 
of  objects  to  afford  relief  to  the  eye  or  amusement 
to  the  mind,  that  a  stone  of  more  than  usual  size 
appearing  above  the  snow  in  the  direction  in  which 
we  were  going,  immediately  became  a  mark  on 
which  our  eyes  were  unconsciously  fixed,  and  to- 
wards which  we  mechanically  advanced. 

We  had  frequent  occasion,  in  our  walks  on  shore, 
to  remark  the  deception  which  takes  place  in  esti- 
mating the  distance  and  magnitude  of  objects  when 
viewed  over  an  unvaried  surface  of  siiow.     It  was 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


83 


f  :s: 


hore, 
esti- 
when 
was 


not  uncommon  for  us  to  direct  our  steps  towards 
what  we  took  for  a  large  mass  of  stone  at  the  dis- 
tance  of  half  a  mile  from  us,  but  which  we  were 
able  to  take  up  in  our  hands  after  one  minute's 
walk.  This  was  more  particularly  the  case  when 
ascending  the  brow  of  a  hill,  nor  did  we  find  that 
the  deception  became  less  on  account  of  the  fre- 
quency with  which  we  experienced  its  effects. 

In  the  afternoon  the  men  were  usually  occupied 
in  drawing  and  knotting  yarns,  and  in  making 
points  and  gaskets  ;  a  never-failing  resource  where 
mere  occupation  is  required,  and  which  it  was  ne- 
cessary to  perform  entirely  on  the  lower  deck,  the 
yarns  becoming  so  hard  and  brittle,  when  exposed 
on  deck  to  the  temperature  of  the  atmosphere,  as 
to  be  too  stiff  for  working,  and  very  easily  broken. 
I  may  in  this  place  remark,  that  our  lower  rigging 
became  extremely  slack  during  the  severity  of  the 
wintr^fj  and  gradually  tightened  again  as  the  spring 
returned  i  effects  the  very  reverse  of  those  which 
we  had  anticipated,  and  which  I  can  only  account 
for  by  the  extreme  dryness  of  the  atmosphere  in 
the  middle  of  winter,  and  the  subsequent  increase 
of  moisture. 

At  half  past  five  in  the  evening  the  decks  were 
cleared  up,  and  at  six  we  again  beat  to  divisions, 
when  the  same  examination  of  the  men  and  of  their 
berths  and  bed-places  took  place  as  in  the  morning ; 
the  i>v  :ple  then  went  to  their  supper,  and  the  offi- 
cers to  tea.  After  this  time  the  men  were  permit- 
ted to  amuse  themselves  as  they  pleased,  and  games 
of  various  kinds,  as  well  as  dancing  and  singing 
occasionally,  went  on  upon  the  lower  deck  till  nine 
o'clock,  when  they  went  to  bed  and  their  lights 


.4 


■^*»' 


1 

:     iS 


\       I 


in 


!lit 


US 


.:.!i 


84 


VOYAGE    FOR   THE   DISCOVERY 


were  extinguished.  In  order  to  guard  against  ac- 
cidents by  fire,  where  so  many  fires  and  lights  were 
necessarily  in  use,  the  quartermasters  visited  the 
lower  deck  every  half  hour  during  the  night,  and 
made  their  report  to  the  oflicers  of  the  watches  that 
all  was,  in  this  respect,  safe  below  ;  and  to  secure  a 
ready  supply  of  water  in  case  of  fire,  a  hole  was 
cut  twice  a  day  in  the  ice,  close  alongside  of  each 
ship.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  add,  that  the 
evening  occupations  of  the  officers  were  of  a  more 
rational  kind  than  those  which  engaged  the  atten- 
tion of  the  men.  Of  these,  reading  and  writing 
were  the  principal  employments,  to  which  were 
occasionally  added  a  game  of  chess,  or  a  vune  on 
the  flute  or  violin,  till  half  past  ten,  about  which 
time  we  all  retired  to  rest. 

Such  were  the  employments  which  usually  occu- 
pied  us  for  six  days  in  the  week,  with  such  excep- 
tions only  as  circumstances  at  the  time  suggested. 
On  Sundays  divine  service  was  invariably  per- 
formed, and  a  sermon  read  on  board  both  ships ; 
the  prayer  appointed  to  be  daily  used  at  sea  being 
altered,  so  as  to  adapt  it  to  the  service  in  which  v/e 
were  engaged,  the  success  which  had  hitherto  at- 
tended our  efforts,  and  the  peculiar  circumstances 
under  which  we  were  at  present  placed.  The  at- 
tention paid  by  the  men  to  the  observance  of  their 
religious  duties  was  such  as  to  reflect  upon  them 
the  highest  credit,  and  tended  in  no  small  degree 
to  the  preservation  of  that  regularity  and  good 
conduct  for  which,  with  very  few  exceptions,  they 
were  invariably  distinguished. 

Our  theatrical  entertainments  toolv  place  regular- 
ly once  a  fortnight,  and  continued  to  prove  a  source 


■.j-'-'i!^^,:-\ 


t^'t\  .'ii.' 


^t': 


0P  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGM. 


85 


[they 

ilar- 
Mrce 


'% 


V    A 


of  infinite  amusement  to  the  men.  Our  stock  of 
plays  was  so  scanty,  consisting  of  one  or  two  odd 
volumes,  which  happened  accidentally  to  be  on 
board,  that  it  was  with  difficulty  we  could  find  the 
means  of  varying  the  performances  sufficiently; 
our  authors,  therefore,  set  to  work,  and  produced, 
as  a  Christmas  piece,  a  musical  entertainment,  ex- 
pressly adapted  to  our  audience,  and  having  such 
a  reference  to  the  service  on  which  we  were  en- 
gaged, and  the  success  we  had  so  far  experienced, 
as  at  once  to  afford  a  high  degree  of  present  rec- 
reation, and  to  stimulate,  if  possible,  the  sanguine 
hopes  which  were  entertained  by  all  on  board,  of 
the  complete  accomplishment  of  our  enterprise. 
We  were  at  one  time  apprehensive  that  the  sever- 
ity of  the  weather  would  prevent  the  continuance 
of  this  amusement,  but  the  perseverance  of  the  of- 
ficers overcame  every  difficulty ;  and,  perhaps  for 
the  first  time  since  theatrical  entertainments  were 
invented,  more  than  one  or  two  plays  were  per- 
formed on  board  the  Hecia  with  the  thermometer 
below  zero  on  the  stage. 

The  North  Georgia  Gazette,  which  I  have  al- 
ready mentioned,  was  a  source  of  great  amuse- 
ment, not  only  to  the  contributors,  but  to  those 
who,  fi'om  diffidence  of  their  own  talents  or  other 
reasons,  could  not  be  prevailed  on  to  add  their  mite 
to  the  little  stock  of  literary  composition  which 
was  weekly  demanded;  for  those  who  declined  to 
write  were  not  unwilling  to  read,  and  more  ready 
to  criticise  than  those  who  wielded  the  pen  ;  but  it 
was  that  good-humoured  sort  of  criticism  that  could 
not  give  offence.     The  subjects  handled  in  this  pa- 

VoL.  I.— H 


I- 

i.  ; 


66 


VOYAGE   FOR  THE   DISCOVERY 


■1    I 


per  were  of  course  various,  but  generally  applica- 
ble to  our  own  situation. 

The  return  of  each  successive  day  had  been  al- 
ways very  decidedly  marked  by  a  considerable  twi- 
light for  some  time  about  noon,  that  on  the  shortest 
day  being  sufficient  to  enable  us  to  walk  out  very 
comfortably  for  about  two  hours.*  There  was 
usually,  in  clear  weather,  a  beautiful  arch  of  bright 
red  light  overspreading  the  southern  horizon  for  an 
hour  or  two  before  and  after  noon,  the  light  in- 
creasing, of  course,  in  strength,  as  the  sun  ap- 
proached the  meridian.  Short  as  the  day  now 
was,  if,  indeed,  any  part  of  the  twenty. four  hours 
could  be  properly  called  by  that  name,  the  reflec- 
tion of  light  from  the  snow,  aided  occasionally  by 
a  bright  moon,  was  at  all  times  sufficient  to  pre- 
vent our  experiencing,  even  under  the  most  unfa- 
vourable circumstances,  anything  like  the  gloomy 
night  which  occurs  in  more  temperate  climates. 
Especial  care  was  taken,  during  the  time  the  sun 
was  below  the  horizon,  to  preserve  the  strictest 
regularity  in  the  time  of  our  meals,  and  in  the  va- 
rious occupations  which  engaged  our  attention  du- 
ring the  day ;  and  this,  together  with  the  gradual 
and  imperceptible  manner  in  which  the  days  had 
shortened,  prevented  this  kind  of  life,  so  novel  to 
us  in  reality,  from  appearing  very  inconvenient,  or, 
indeed,  like  anything  out  of  the  common  way.  It 
must  be  confessed,  however,  that  we  were  not  sor- 
ry to  arrive,  without  any  serious  suffering,  at  the 

■  *  It  will,  perhaps,  give  the  best  idea  of  the  power  of  the  sun's 
light  afforded  us  on  this  day,  to  state,  that  we  col  Id,  at  noon, 
read  with  tolerable  ease  the  same  sized  type  as  tha>  in  which 
this  note  is  printed ;  but  this  could  only  be  done  by  turnmg  the 
book  directly  towards  the  south. 


m 


%■ 


m 


:*,' 


>• 


OF  A   NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


87 


sun's 

I  noon, 

rhich 

igthe 


shortest  day ;  and  we  watched,  with  no  ordinary 
degree  of  pleasure,  the  slow  approach  of  the  re- 
turning sun.      -    i     **:       ^v      -       > 

On  Christmas  day  the  weather  was  raw  and  cold, 
with  a  considerable  snowdrift,  though  the  wind  was 
only  moderate  from  the  N.  W. ;  but  the  snow  which 
falls  during  the  severe  winter  of  this  climate  is 
composed  of  spiculse  so  extremely  minute,  that  it 
requires  very  little  wind  to  raise  it  and  carry  it 
along.  To  mark  the  day  in  the  best  manner  which 
circumstances  would  permit  divine  service  was  per- 
formed on  board  the  ships ;  and  I  directed  a  small 
increase  in  the  men's  usual  proportion  of  fresh 
meat  as  a  Christmas  dinner,  as  well  as  an  addition- 
al allowance  of  grog,  to  drink  the  health  of  their 
friends  in  England.  The  officers  also  met  at  a  so- 
cial and  friendly  dinner,  and  the  day  passed  with 
much  of  the  same  kind  of  festivity  by  which  it  is 
usually  distinguished  at  home ;  and,  to  the  credit 
of  the  men  be  it  spoken,  without  any  of  that  disor- 
der by  which  it  is  too  often  observed  by  seamen, 
A  piece  of  English  roast-beef,  which  formed  part 
of  the  officers'  dinner,  had  been  on  board  since  the 
preceding  May,  and  preserved  without  salt  during 
that  period  merely  by  the  antiseptic  powers  of  a 
cold  atmosphere. 

A  great  many  frostbites  occurred  about  this  time, 
30th,  principally  in  the  men's  feet,  even  when  they 
had  been  walking  quickly  on  shore  for  exercise. 
On  examining  their  boots,  Mr.  Edwards  remarked, 
that  the  stiffiiess  of  the  thick  leather  of  which  they 
were  made  was  such  as  to  cramp  the  feet,  and  pre- 
vent the  circulation  from  going  on  freely ;  and  that 
this  alone  was  sufficient  to  account  for  their  feet 


Ml 


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88 


VOYAGE  FOR  THB  DIECOVERY 


having  been  frostbitten.  Being  very  desirous  of 
avoiding  these  accidents,  which,  from  the  increased 
sluggishness  with  which  the  sores  healed,  were  more 
and  more  likely  to  affect  the  general  health  of  the 
patients  by  long  confinement,  J  directed  a  pair  of 
canvass  boots,  lined  with  blanketing  or  some  other 
woollen  stuff,  to  be  made  for  each  man,  using  raw 
hide  as  soles :  this  completely  answered  the  desired 
purpose,  as  scarcely  any  frostbites  in  the  feet  af. 
terward  occurred,  except  under  circumstances  of 
very  severe  exposure.  .     .  •    .  , 


'^S. 


j=f.;  »• 


CHAPTER  VL 


First  Appearance  of  Scurvy. — The  Aurora  Borealis  and  other 
Meteorological  Phenomena. — Visits  of  the  Wolves.— Reap- 
pearance of  the  Sun. — Extreme  low  Temperature. — Destruc- 
tioa  of  the  House  on  Shore  by  Fire. — Severe  Frostbites  occa- 
sioned by  this  Accident. 


r 


January  1,  1820. — I  received  this  morning  the 
first  unpleasant  report  of  the  scurvy  having  made 
its  appearance  among  us  :  Mr.  Scallon,  the  gunner 
of  the  Hecla,  had  for  some  days  past  been  com- 
plaining of  pains  in  his  legs,  which  Mr.  Edwards 
at  first  took  to  be  rheumatic,  but  which,  together 
with  the  appearance  of  his  gums,  now  left  no  doubt 
of  the  symptoms  being  scorbutic.  It  is  so  uncom- 
mon a  thing  for  this  disease  to  make  its  first  appear- 
ance among  the  ofiicers,  that  Mr.  Edwards  was  nat- 
urally curious  to  inquire  into  the  cause  of  it ;  and 


W^} 


OP   A   NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


89 


at  length  discovered  that  Mr.  Scallon's  hedding  was 
in  so  damp  a  state,  in  consequence  of  the  deposite 
of  moisture  in  his  bed -place,  which  I  have  before 
mentioned,  as  to  leave  no  doubt  that  to  this  circum- 
stance, as  the  immediate  exciting  cause,  his  illness 
might  justly  be  attributed.  The  difficulty  of  pre- 
venting this  deposite  of  moisture,  and  the  conse- 
quent accumulatton  of  ice,  was  much  greater  in 
the  officers'  bed- places  than  in  those  of  the  men,  in 
consequence  of  the  former  being  necessarily  placed 
in  close  contact  ^^  Uh  the  ship's  sides,  and  forming 
an  immediate  c  nunication,  as  it  were,  with  the 
external  atmosphere ;  whereas  in  the  latter  there 
was  a  vacant  interval  of  eighteen  inches  in  width 
interposed  between  them.  To  prevent  as  much  as 
possible,  therefore,  the  injurious  effects  of  this  evil 
upon  the  health  of  the  officers,  I  appointed  certain 
days  for  the  airing  of  their  bedding  by  the  fires,  as 
well  as  for  that  of  the  ships'  companies.  Every 
attention  was  paid  to  Mr.  Scallon's  case  by  the 
medical  gentlemen,  and  all  our  anti-scorbutics  were 
put  in  requisition  for  his  recovery  :  these  consisted 
principally  of  preserved  vegetable  soups,  lemon- 
juice,  and  sugar,  pickles,  preserved  currants  and 
gooseberries,  and  spruce  beer.  I  began  also,  about 
this  time,  to  raise  a  small  quantity  of  mustard  and 
cress  in  my  cabin,  in  small  shallow  boxes  filled  with 
mould,  and  placed  along  the  stovepipe ;  by  these 
means,  even  in  the  severity  of  winter,  we  could 
generally  ensure  a  crop  at  the  end  of  the  sixth  or 
seventh  day  after  sowing  the  seed,  which,  by  keep- 
ing several  boxes  at  work,  would  give  to  two  or 
three  scorbutic  patients  nearly  an  ounce  of  salad 
each  daily,  even  though  the  necessary  economy  in 

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our  coals  did  not  allow  of  the  fire  being  kept  in  at 
night.  The  mustard  and  cress  thus  raised  were 
necessarily  colourless,  from  the  privation  of  light ; 
but,  as  far  as  we  could  judge,  they  possessed  the 
same  pungent  aromatic  taste  as  if  grown  under  or- 
dinary circumstances.  So  effectual  were  these 
remedies  in  Mr.  Scallon's  case,  that,  on  the  ninth 
evening  from  the  attack,  he  was  able  to  walk  about 
on  the  lower  deck  for  some  time,  and  he  assured 
me  that  he  could  then  "  run  a  race." 

At  noon  on  the  7th,  the  temperature  of  the  at- 
mosphere had  got  down  to  49°  below  zero,  being 
the  greatest  degree  of  cold  which  we  had  yet  ex- 
perienced ;  but  the  weather  being  quite  calm,  we 
walked  on  shore  for  an  hour  without  inconvenience^ 
the  sensation  of  cold  depending  much  more  on  the 
degree  of  wind  at  the  time  than  on  the  absolute 
temperature  of  the  atmosphere  as  indicated  by  the 
thermometer.  In  several  of  the  accounts  given  of 
those  countries  in  which  an  intense  degree  of  nat- 
ural cold  is  experienced,  some  effects  are  attribu* 
ted  to  it  which  certainly  did  not  come  under  our 
observation  in  the  course  of  this  winter.  The  first 
of  these  is  the  dreadful  sensation  said  to  be  pro- 
duced on  the  lungs,  causing  them  to  feel  as  if  torn 
asunder  when  the  air  is  inhaled  at  a  very  low 
temperature.  No  such  sensation  was  ever  expe- 
rienced by  us,  though  in  going  from  the  cabins  into 
the  open  air,  and  vice  versdy  we  were  constantly  in 
the  habit  for  some  months  of  undergoing  a  change 
of  from  90°  to  100°,  and,  in  several  instances,  120** 
of  temperature  in  less  than  one  minute  ;  and,  what 
is  still  more  extraordinary,  not  a  single  inflamma- 
tory complaint,  beyond  a  slight  cold,  which  was 


a«i 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


91 


cured  by  common  care  in  a  day  or  two,  occurred 
during  this  particular  period.  The  second  is,  the 
vapour  with  which  the  air  of  an  inhabited  room  is 
charged,  condensing  into  a  shower  of  snow  imme- 
diately on  the  opening  of  a  door  or  wndow  com- 
municating with  the  external  atmosphere.  This 
goes  much  beyond  anything  that  we  had  an  op- 
portunity of  observing.  What  happened  with  us 
was  simply  this :  on  the  opening  of  the  doors  at 
the  lop  and  bottom  of  our  hatchway  ladders,  the 
vapour  was  immediately  condensed,  by  the  sudden 
admission  of  the  cold  air,  into  a  visible  form,  ex- 
actly resembling  a  very  thick  smoke,  which  settled 
on  all  the  panels  of  the  doors  and  bulkheads,  and 
immediately  froze,  by  which  means  the  latter  were 
covered  with  a  thick  coating  of  ice,  which  it  was 
necessary  frequently  to  scrape  off;  but  we  never, 
to  my  knowledge,  saw  the  conversion  of  the  vapour 
into  snow  during  its  fall. 

On  the  evening  of  the  15th,  the  atmosphere  be- 
ing clear  and  serene,  we  were  gratified  by  a  sight 
of  the  only  very  brilliant  and  diversified  display  of 
Aurora  Borealis  which  occurred  during  the  whole 
winter.  I  believe  it  to  be  almost  impossible  for 
words  to  give  an  idea  of  the  beauty  and  variety 
which  this  magnificent  phenomenon  displayed. 

About  this  time  it  had  been  remarked,  that  a 
white  setter  dog  had  left  the  Griper  for  several 
nights  past  at  the  same  time,  and  had  regularly 
returned  after  some  hours'  absence.  As  the  day- 
light increased,  we  had  frequent  opportunities  of 
seeing  him  in  company  with  a  she-wolf,  with  which 
he  kept  up  an  almost  daily  intercourse  for  several 
weeks,  till  at  length  he  returned  no  more  to  the 


Vi 

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92 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE   DISCOVERY 


"N 


ships  ;  having  either  lost  his  way  hy  rambling  to 
too  great  a  distance,  or,  what  is  more  likely,  per- 
haps, been  destroyed  by  the  male  wolves.  Some 
time  after,  a  large  dog  of  mine,  which  was  also  get- 
ting into  the  habit  of  occasionally  remaining  ab- 
sent for  some  time,  returned  on  board  a  good  deal 
lacerated  and  covered  with  blood,  having  no  doubt 
maintained  a  severe  encounter  with  a  male  wolf, 
which  we  traced  to  a  considerable  distance  by  the 
tracks  on  the  snow.  An  old  dog,  of  the  Newfound- 
land breed,  that  we  had  on  board  the  Hecla,  was 
also  in  the  habit  of  remaining  out  with  the  wolves 
for  a  day  or  two  together ;  and  we  frequently 
watched  them  keeping  company  on  the  most  friend, 
ly  terms.  v^  4       .    >       -* 

A  wolf,  which  crossed  the  harbour  close  to  the 
ships  on  the  25th,  was  observed  to  be  almost  en- 
tirely white,  his  body  long  and  extremely  lean, 
standing  higher  on  his  legs  than  any  of  the  Esqui- 
maux dogs,  but  otherwise  much  resembling  them ; 
his  tail  was  long  and  bushy,  and  always  hanging 
between  his  legs,  and  he  kept  his  head  very  low 
in  running.  It  is  extraordinary  that  we  could 
never  succeed  in  killing  or  catching  one  of  these 
animals,  though  we  were  for  months  almost  con- 
stantly endeavouring  to  do  so.    ' 

On  the  1st  and  2d  of  February  the  weather  was 
rather  hazy,  so  that  the  sun  could  not  have  been 
seen  had  it  been  above  the  horizon ;  but  the  3d  was 
a  beautifully  clear  and  calm  day.  At  eight  A.M. 
a  cross,  consisting  of  the  usual  vertical  and  hori- 
zontal rays,  was  seen  about  the  moon.  At  twenty 
minutes  before  apparent  noon,  the  sun  was  seen 
from  the  Hecla's  main-top,  at  the  height  of  fifly. 


"r* 


OF   A   NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


93 


one  feet  above  the  sea,  being  the  first  time  that  this 
luminary  had  been  visible  to  us  since  the  11th  of 
November,  a  period  of  eighty-four  days,  being 
twelve  days  less  than  the  time  of  its  remaining  ac- 
tually beneath  the  horizon,  independently  of  the 
effects  of  atmospherical  refraction.  On  ascending 
the  main-top,  I  found  the  sun  to  be  plainly  visible 
over  the  land  to  the  south ;  but  at  noon  there  was 
a  dusky  sort  of  cloud  hanging  about  the  horizon,* 
which  prevented  our  seeing  anything  like  a  defined 
limb,  so  as  to  measure  or  estimate  its  altitude  cor. 

reCtly*  .^r-.^j'   ..«(,■. /V-    >.  ■'     .  !'."-■      "■■r-.,'     ■. -^      ^r^t* 

At  noon  on  the  7th  we  had  the  first  clear  view 
of  the  sun  which  we  had  yet  enjoyed  since  its  re« 
appearance  above  our  horizon,  and  an  indistinct 
parhelion,  or  mock  sun,  slightly  prismatic,  was  seen 
on  the  eastern  side  of  it,  at  the  distance  of  22°.  ' 
-There  was  now  sufficient  daylight,  from  eight 
o'clock  till  four,  to  enable  us  to  perform  with  great 
facility  any  work  outside  the  ships.  I  was  not 
sorry  to  commence  upon  some  of  the  occupations 
more  immediately  connected  with  the  equipment 
of  the  ships  for  sea  than  those  to  which  we  had 
hitherto  been  obliged  to  have  recourse  as  mere 
employment.  We  therefore  began  this  day  to  col- 
lect stones  for  ballast,  of  which  it  was  calculated 
that  the  Hecla  would  require  in  the  spring  nearly 
seventy  tons,  besides  twenty  tons  of  additional 
water,  to  make  up  for  the  loss  of  weight  by  the 
expenditure  of  provisions  and  stores.  These  stones 
were  brought  down  on  sledges  about  half  a  mile  to 
the  beach,  where  they  were  broken  into  a  conve. 
nient  size  for  stowage,  and  then  weighed  in  scales 
erected  on  the  beach  for  the  purpose ;  thus  afford- 


■i         .I 


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:     ' 


94 


VOYAGE   FOR  THE   DISCOVERY 


ing  to  the  men  a  considerable  quantity  of  bodily 
exercise  whenever  the  weather  would  permit  them 
to  be  so  employed.  ^     .    ,  .».?   ,.j#,>,^f 

•  The  distance  at  which  sounds  were  heard  in  the 
open  air,  during  the  continuance  of  intense  cold, 
was  so  great  as  constantly  to  afford  matter  of  sur- 
prise to  us,  notwithstanding  the  frequency  with 
which  we  had  occasion  to  remark  it.  We  have, 
for  instance,  often  heard  people  distinctly  conver- 
sing, in  a  common  tone  of  voice,  at  the  distance  of 
a  mile ;  and  to-day  I  heard  a  man  singing  to  him- 
self as  he  walked  along  the  beach,  at  even  a  greater 
distance  than  this.  Another  circumstance  also  oc- 
curred to<.day,  which  may  perhaps  be  considered 
as  worthy  of  notice.  Lieutenant  Beechey,  and 
Messrs.  Beverly  and  Fisher,  in  the  course  of  a 
walk  which  led  them  to  a  part  of  the  harbour, 
about  two  miles  directly  to  leeward  of  the  ships, 
were  surprised  by  suddenly  perceiving  a  smell  of 
smoke,  so  strong  as  even  to  impede  their  breath- 
ing, till,  by  walking  on  a  little  farther,  they  got  rid 
of  it.  This  circumstance  shows  to  what  a  distance 
the  smoke  from  the  ships  was  carried  horizontally, 
owing  to  the  difficulty  with  which  it  rises  at  a  very 
low  temperature  of  the  atmosphere. 

From  four  P.M.  on  the  14th  till  half  past  seven 
on  the  following  morning,  being  an  interval  of 
fifteen  hours  and  a  half,  during  which  time  the 
weather  was  clear  and  nearly  calm,  a  thermometer, 
fixed  on  a  pole  between  the  ships  and  the  shore, 
never  rose  above  — 54°,  and  was  once  during  that 
interval,  namely,  at  six  in  the  morning,  as  low  as 
— 65°.  During  the  lowest  temperature  above 
mentioned,  which  was  the  most  intense  degree  of 


iT 


.■-■-w-,-r-.n'  ■■■*«.■,. 


!  ■        14 


OF   A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


95 


jven 
il  of 
the 
iter, 
fore, 
Ithat 
as 
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of 


cold  marked  by  the  spirit-thermometer  during  our 
stay  in  Winter  Harbour,  not  the  slightest  inconve- 
nience was  suffered  from  exposure  to  the  open  air 
by  a  person  well  clothed,  as  long  as  the  weather 
was  perfectly  calm  ;  but,  in  walking  against  a  very 
light  air  of  wind,  a  smart  sensation  was  experi- 
enced all  over  the  face,  accompanied  by  a  pain  in 
the  middle  of  the  forehead,  which  soon  became 
rather  severe.  We  amused  ourselves  in  freezing 
some  mercury  during  the  continuance  of  this  cold 
weather,  and  by  beating  it  out  on  an  anvil  previ- 
ously reduced  to  the  temperature  of  the  atmo- 
sphere ;  it  did  not  appear  to  be  very  malleable  when 
in  this  state,  usually  breaking  after  two  or  three 
blows  from  the  hammer. 

The  increased  length  of  the  day,  and  the  cheer- 
ing presence  of  the  sun  for  several  hours  above 
the  horizon,  induced  me,  notwithstanding  the  se- 
verity of  the  weather,  to  open  the  dead-lights  of  my 
stern  windows,  in  order  to  admit  the  daylight,  of 
which,  in  our  occupations  below,  we  had  entirely 
been  deprived  for  more  than  four  months.  I  had 
soon,  however,  occasion  to  find  that  this  change 
was  rather  premature,  and  that  I  had  not  rightly 
calculated  on  the  length  of  the  winter  in  Melville 
Island,  The  Hecla  was  fitted  with  double  win- 
dows in  her  stern,  the  interval  between  the  two 
sashes  being  about  two  feet ;  and  within  these  some 
curtains  of  baize  had  been  nailed  close  in  the  early 
part  of  the  winter.  On  endeavouring  now  to  re- 
move the  curtains,  they  were  found  to  be  so  strongly 
cemented  to  the  windows  by  the  frozen  vapour  col- 
lected between  them,  that  it  was  necessary  to  cut 
them  off  in  order  to  open  the  windows ;  and  from 


/•I 


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;'  > 


t 


06 


VOYAGE   FOR   THE   DISCOVERY 


the  space  between  the  double  sashes  we  removed 
more  than  twelve  large  buckets  full  of  ice  or  fro- 
zen vapour,  which  had  accumulated  in  the  same 
manner. 

About  noon  on  the  16th,  a  parhelion,  faintly  pris- 
matic, appeared  on  each  side  of  the  sun,  continu- 
ing only  for  half  an  hour.  Notwithstanding  the 
low  temperature  of  the  external  atmosphere,  the 
officers  contrived  to  act,  as  usual,  the  play  an- 
nounced  for  this  evening ;  but  it  must  be  confess- 
ed that  it  was  almost  too  cold  for  either  the  actors 
or  the  audience  to  enjoy  it,  especially  for  those  of 
the  former  who  undertook  to  appear  in  female 
dresses. 

In  the  constant  hope  that  each  succeeding  day 
would  produce  some  amendment  in  the  weather, 
we  endeavoured  contentedly  to  put  up  with  the  cold, 
which,  however,  continued  to  be  so  intense  in  the 
cabin  for  several  weeks  after  this,  that  it  was  im- 
possible to  sit  there  without  being  warmly  wrapped 
up ;  and  it  was  not  uncommon  for  us,  at  this  pe- 
riod, to  reverse  the  usual  order  of  things,  by  throw- 
ing off  our  great  coats  when  we  went  on  deck  to 
warm  ourselves  by  exercise  (the  only  mode  we  had 
of  doing  so),  and  immediately  resuming  them  on 
coming  below. 

With  our  present  temperature,  the  breath  of  a 
person  at  a  little  distance  looked  exactly  like  the 
smoke  of  a  musket  just  tired,  and  that  of  a  party 
of  men  employed  upon  the  ice  to-day  resembled  a 
thick  white  cloud. 

At  a  quarter  past  ten  on  Thursday,  the  24th, 
while  the  men  were  running  round  the  decks  for 
exercise,  and  were  on  that  account  fortunately  well 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


97 


1% 


clothedy  the  house  on  shore  was  discovered  to  be 
on  fire.  All  the  officers  and  men  of  both  ships 
instantly  ran  up  to  extinguish  it ;  and  having,  by 
great  exertion,  pulled  off  the  roof  with  ropes,  and 
knocked  down  a  part  of  the  sides,  so  as  to  allow 
snow  to  be  thrown  upon  the  flames,  we  succeeded 
in  getting  it  under  afler  three  quarters  of  an  hour, 
and  fortunatelv  before  the  fire  had  reached  that  end 
of  the  house  where  the  two  clocks,  together  with 
the  transit  and  other  valuable  instruments,  were 
standing  in  their  cases.  Having  removed  these, 
and  covered  the  ruins  with  snow,  to  prevent  any 
remains  of  fire  from  breaking  out  again,  we  re- 
turned on  board  till  more  temperate  weather  should 
enable  us  to  dig  out  the  rest  of  the  things,  among 
which  nothing  of  any  material  consequence  was 
subsequently  found  to  have  suffered  injury ;  and, 
having  mustered  the  ships'  companies  to  see  that 
they  had  put  on  dry  clothes  before  going  to  dinner, 
they  were  employed  during  the  rest  of  the  day  in 
drying  those  which  had  been  wet.  The  appear- 
ance which  our  faces  presented  at  the  fire  was  a 
?mrious  one,  almost  every  nose  and  cheek  having 
iL>f;come  quite  white  with  frostbites  in  five  minutes 
alter  being  exposed  to  the  weather ;  so  that  it  was 
deemed  necessary  for  the  medical  gentlemen,  to- 
gether with  some  others  appointed  to  assist  them, 
to  go  constantly  round  while  the  men  were  work- 
ing at  the  fire,  and  to  rub  with  snow  the  parts  af- 
fected, in  order  to  restore  animation.  Notwith- 
standing this  precaution,  which,  however,  saved 
many  frostbites,  we  had  an  addition  of  no  less 
than  sixteen  men  to  the  sick  lists  of  both  ships  in 
consequence  of  this  accident*  Among  these  there 
Vol.  I.—I 


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u 


98 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE   DISCOVERY 


were  four  or  five  cases  which  kept  the  patients 
confined  for  several  weeks ;  but  John  Smith,  of  the 
artillery,  who  was  Captain  Sabine's  servant,  and 
who,  together  with  Sergeant  Martin,  happened  to 
be  in  the  house  at  the  time  the  fire  broke  out,  was 
unfortunate  enough  to  suffer  much  more  severely. 
In  their  anxiety  to  save  the  dipping-needle,  which 
was  standing  close  to  the  stove,  and  of  which  they 
knew  the  value,  they  immediately  ran  out  with  it ; 
and  Smith,  not  having  time  to  put  on  his  gloves, 
had  his  fingers  in  half  an  hour  so  benumbed  and 
the  animation  so  completely  suspended,  that  on  his 
being  taken  on  board  by  Mr.  Edwards,  and  having 
his  hands  plunged  into  a  basin  of  cold  water,  the 
surface  of  the  water  was  immediately  frozen  by 
the  intense  cold  thus  suddenly  communicated  to  it ; 
and,  notwithstanding  the  most  humane  and  unre- 
mitting attention  paid  to  them  by  the  medical  gen- 
tlemen, it  was  found  necessary,  some  time  after, 
to  resort  to  the  amputation  of  a  part  of  four  fingers 
on  one  hand  and  three  on  the  other. 


■'••■'  *Ass;^^'*4''  '^^Ki-  a-^'  [ 


\. 


\\\ 


ji]    Kji 


OF   A   NORTHWEST  PASSAGE, 


',-     I:  ', 


99 


V- 


■'»!,-; 


;t •  I , ,      ^     CHAPTER  VII. 


^i  !   -,?*. 


1  '  >; 


ir   I    ■' 


More  temperate  Weather. — House  rebuilt. — Quantity  of  Ice  col- 
lected on  the  Hecla's  lower  Deck. — Meterological  Phenome- 
na.— Conclusion  of  Theatrical  Entertainments.— Increased 
Sickness  on  board  the  Griper. — Clothes  first  dried  intheopeu 
Air. — Remarkable  Halos  and  Parhelia. — Snow  Blindness. — 
Cutting  the  Ice  round  the  Ships,  and  other  Occurrences  to  the 
close  of  May.  ^  ...    «.- 


'**4 


*> 


Before  sunrise  on  the  morning  of  the  1st  of 
March,  Lieutenant  Beechey  remarked  so  much 
bright  red  light  near  the  southeastern  horizon, 
that  he  constantly  thought  the  sun  was  rising 
nearly  half  an  hour  before  it  actually  appeared ; 
there  was  a  column  of  light  above  the  sun  similar 
to  those  which  we  had  before  seen.  The  day  being 
clear  and  moderate,  a  party  of  men  were  employed 
in  digging  out  the  things  which  were  buried  in  the 
ruins ;  the  clocks  were  removed  on  board  for  ex- 
amination, and  preparations  were  made  to  rebuild 
the  house  for  their  reception. 

The  5th  of  March  was  the  most  mild  and  pleas- 
ant day  we  had  experienced  for  several  weeks,  and 
after  divine  service  had  been  performed,  almost  all 
the  officers  and  men  in  both  ships  were  glad  to  take 
advantage  of  it,  by  enjoying  a  long  walk  upon  the 
neighbouring  hills.  The  weather  had  been  hazy, 
with  light  snow  and  some  clouds  in  the  morning ; 
but  the  latter  gradually  dispersed  afler  noon,  af. 
fording  us  the  first  day  to  which  we  could  attach 
the  idea  of  spring. 


!■    >  *Sr'    '  J 


jd^ 


•y  1 


1 1 


100 


VOYAGE  FOR  TlIE  DISCOVERY 


^.^^1 


We  continued  to  enjoy  the  same  temperature 
and  enlivening  weather  on  the  7th,  and  now  began 
to  flatter  ourselves  in  earnest  that  the  season  had 
taken  that  favourable  change  for  which  we  had  so 
long  been  looking  with  extreme  anxiety  and  im« 
patience.  This  hope  was  much  strengthened  by  a 
circumstance  which  occurred  to-day,  and  which, 
trifling  as  it  would  have  appeared  in  any  other  situ, 
ation  than  ours,  was  to  us  a  matter  of  no  small  in- 
terest and  satisfaction.  This  was  no  other  than 
the  thawing  of  a  small  quantity  of  snow  in  a  fa- 
vourable situatioa  upon  the  black  paintwork  of  the 
ship's  stern,  which  exactly  faced  the  south ;  being 
the  flrst  time  that  such  an  event  had  occurred  for 
more  than  five  months.        -  '^   ^^^      v  .   '    v 

The  severe  weather  which,  until  the  last  two  or 
three  days,  we  had  experienced,  had  been  the  means 
of  keeping  in  a  solid  state  all  the  vapour  which  had 
accumulated  and  frozen  upon  the  ship's  sides  on  the 
lower  deck.  As  long  as  it  continued  in  this  state, 
it  did  not  prove  a  source  of  annoyance,  especially 
as  it  had  no  communication  with  the  bed-places. 
The  late  mildness  of  the  weather,  however,  having 
caused  a  thaw  to  take  place  below,  it  now  became 
necessary  immediately  to  scrape  off  the  coating 
of  ice,  and  it  will,  perhaps,  be  scarcely  credited, 
that  we  this  day  removed  about  one  hundred  buck- 
ets full,  each  containing  from  five  to  six  gallons, 
being  the  accumulation  which  had  taken  place  in 
an  interval  of  less  than  four  weeks.  It  may  be 
observed,  that  this  vapour  must  principally  have 
been  produced  from  the  men's  breath,  and  from  the 
steam  of  their  victuals  during  meals,  that  from  the 
coppers  being  effectually  carried  on  deck  by  the 
screen  which  I  have  before  mentioned. 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


101 


the 
the 
the 


On  the  9th  it  blew  a  hard  gale  from  the  north, 
ward  and  westward,  raising  a  snowdrift,  which 
made  the  day  almost  as  inclement  as  in  the  midst 
of  winter.  The  wind  very  suddenly  ceased  in  the 
evening,  and  while  the  atmosphere  near  the  ships 
was  so  serene  and  undisturbed  that  the  smoke 
rose  quite  perpendicularly,  we  saw  the  snowdrift 
on  the  hills,  at  one  or  two  miles'  distance,  whirled 
up  into  the  air,  in  columns  several  hundred  feet 
high,  and  carried  along  by  the  wind,  sometimes 
to  the  north,  and  at  others  in  the  opposite  direc- 
tion.  The  snow  thus  raised  at  times  resembled 
waterspouts,  but  more  frequently  appeared  like 
smoke  issuing  from  the  tops  of  the  hills,  and  as 
such  was  at  first  represented  to  me. 

It  blew  a  strong  breeze  from  the  N.b.W.,  with 
a  heavy  snowdrift,  on  the  12th,  which  continued, 
with  little  intermission,  till  near  noon  on  the  14th ; 
affording  us  a  convincing  proof  that  the  hopes  with 
which  we  had  flattered  ourselves  of  the  speedy  re- 
turn of  spring  were  not  yet  to  be  accomplished. 

On  the  16th,  there  being  little  wind,  the  weather 
was  again  pleasant  and  comfortable,  though  the 
thermometer  remained  very  low. 

This  evening  the  officers  performed  the  farces 
of  the  Citizen  and  the  Mayor  of  Garratt,  being  the 
last  of  our  theatrical  amusements  for  this  winter, 
the  season  having  now  arrived  when  there  would 
no  longer  be  a  want  of  occupation  for  the  men,  and 
when  it  became  necessary  also  to  remove  a  part 
of  the  roofing  to  admit  light  to  the  officers'  cabins. 
Our  poets  were  again  set  to  work  on  this  occasion, 
and  an  appropriate  address  was  spoken  on  the  clo- 
sing of  the  North  Georgia  Theatre,  than  which  we 

12 


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IN 


I 


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mk 


tr^r^ 


102 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


11 


may,  without  vanity,  be  permitted  to  say,  none  had 
ever  done  more  real  service  to  the  community  for 
whose  benefit  it  was  intended. 

On  the  23d  we  found,  by  digging  a  hole  in  the 
ice,  in  the  middle  of  the  harbour,  where  tbe  depth 
of  water  was  four  fathoms  and  a  quarter,  that  its 
thickness  was  six  feet  and  a  half,  and  the  snow  on 
the  surface  of  it  eight  inches  deep.  This  may  be 
considered  a  fair  specimen  of  the  average  forma- 
tion of  ice  in  this  neighbourhood  since  the  middle 
of  the  preceding  September :  and  as  the  freezing 
process  did  not  stop  for  six  weeks  after  this,  the 
produce  of  the  whole  winter  may,  perhaps,  be  rea- 
sonably taken  at  seven,  or  seven  and  a  half  feet. 
In  chopping  this  ice  with  an  axe  the  men  found  it 
very  hard  and  brittle,  till  they  arrived  within  a  foot 
of  the  lower  surface,  where  it  became  soft  and 
spongy. 

Being  extremely  anxious  to  get  rid,  as  early  as 
possible,  of  the  drying  of  our  washed  clothes  upon 
the  lower  deck,  I  had  to-day  a  silk  handkerchief 
washed  and  hung  up  under  the  stern,  in  order  to 
try  the  eflect  of  the  sun's  rays  upon  it.  In  four 
hours  it  became  thoroughly  dry,  the  thermometer 
in  the  shade  being  from  — 18°  to  — 6°  at  the  time. 
This  was  the  first  article  that  had  been  dried  with- 
out artificial  heat  for  six  months,  and  it  was  yet 
another  month  before  flannel  could  be  dried  in  tho 
open  air.  When  this  is  considered,  as  well  as  that, 
during  the  same  period,  the  airing  of  the  bedding, 
the  drying  of  the  bed-places,  and  the  ventilation  of 
the  inhabited  parts  of  the  ship,  were  wholly  de- 
pendant on  the  same  means,  and  thl^  with  a  very 
limited  supply  of  fuel,  it  may,  perhaps;  be  conceived, 


M4 


OP  A   NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


108 


in  some  degree,  what  unremitting  attention  was 
necessary  to  the  preservation  of  health,  under  cir-  ^ 
cumstances  so  unfavourable  and  even  prejudicial. 

The  morning  of  April  27th  being  very  fine,  and 
the  thermometer  at  +6°,  the  ship's  company's 
bedding  was  hung  up  to  air,  between  the  fore  and 
main  rigging,  being  the  first  time  we  had  ventured 
to  bring  it  from  the  lower  deck  for  nearly  eight 
months.  While  it  was  out,  the  berths  and  bed- 
places  were  fumigated  with  a  composition  of  gun- 
powder mixed  with  vinegar,  and  known  familiarly 
by  the  name  of  devils;  an  operation  which  had 
been  regularly  gone  through  once  a  week  during 
the  winter. 

For  the  last  three  or  four  days  of  April  the  snow 
on  the  black  cloth  of  our  housing  had  begun  to  thaw 
a  little  during  a  few  hours  in  the  middle  of  the  day, 
and  on  the  30th  so  rapid  a  change  took  place  in 
the  temperature  of  the  atmosphere,  that  the  ther- 
mometer stood  at  the  freezing,  or,  as  it  may  more 
properly  be  termed  in  this  climate,  the  thawing 
point,  being  the  first  time  that  such  an  event  had 
occurred  for  nearly  eight  months,  or  since  the  9th 
of  the  preceding  September.  This  temperature 
was  to  our  feelings,  so  much  like  that  of  summer, 
that  I  was  under  the  necessity  of  using  my  author- 
ity to  prevent  the  men  from  making  such  an  alter- 
ation in  their  clothing  as  might  have  been  attended 
with  very  dangerous  consequences.  The  ther- 
mometer had  ranged  from  — 32''  to  +32°  in  the 
course  of  twenty  days.  There  was,  at  this  period, 
more  snow  upon  the  ground  than  at  any  other  time 
of  the  year,  the  average  depth  on  the  lower  parts 
of  the  land  being  four  or  five  inches,  but  much  less 


"  i 
t 


)1i 


^!v! 


104 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


I 


upon  the  hills ;  while  in  the  ravines  a  very  large 
quantity  had  been  collected.  The  snow  at  this  time 
became  so  soft,  from  the  influence  of  the  sun  upon 
it,  as  to  make  walking  very  laborious  and  unpleas- 
ant. 

The  fine  and  temperate  weather  with  which  the 
month  of  April  had  concluded,  induced  Captain  Sa- 
bine to  set  the  clocks  going,  in  order  to  commence 
his  observations  for  the  pendulum,  and  he  now  took 
up  his  quarters  entirely  on  shore  for  that  purpose. 
On  the  first  of  May,  however,  it  blew  a  strong  gale 
from  the  northward,  which  made  it  impossible  to 
keep  up  the  desired  temperature  in  the  house :  and 
so  heavy  was  the  snowdrift,  that  in  a  few  hours  the 
house  was  nearly  covered,  and  we  were  obliged  to 
communicate  with  Captain  Sabine  and  his  attend- 
ants through  a  small  window,  from  which  the  snow 
was,  with  much  labour,  cleared  away,  the  door 
being  quite  inaccessible.  We  saw  the  sun  at  mid- 
night for  the  first  time  this  season. 

The  gale  and  snowdrift  continued  on  the  follow- 
ing day,  when  we  had  literally  to  dig  out  the  sen- 
tries, who  attended  the  fire  at  the  house,  in  order 
to  have  them  relieved. 

On  the  6th,  the  thermometer  rose  no  higher  than 
+8J°  during  the  day ;  but,  as  the  wind  was  mod- 
erate, and  it  was  high  time  to  endeavour  to  get  the 
ships  once  more  fairly  afloat,  we  commenced  the 
operation  of  cutting  the  ice  about  them.  In  order 
to  prevent  the  men  suffering  from  wet  and  cold  feet, 
a  pair  of  strong  boots  and  boot-stockings  were  on 
this  occasion  served  to  each. 

On  the  15th,  two  or  three  coveys  of  ptarmigan 
were  seen,  after  which  they  became  more  and  more 


%  ^  \ 


1        1  f^  . 


OP  A   NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


105 


numerous,  and  a  brace  or  two  were  almost  daily 
procured  for  the  sick,  for  whose  use  they  were  ex- 
clusively reserved.  As  it  was  of  the  utmost  impor- 
tance, under  our  present  circumstances,  that  every 
ounce  of  game  which  we  might  thus  procure  should 
be  served  in  lieu  of  other  meat,  I  now  renewed  the 
orders  formerly  given,  that  every  animal  killed  was 
to  be  considered  as  public  property ;  and,  as  such, 
to  be  regularly  issued  like  any  other  kind  of  provis- 
ion, without  the  slightest  distinction  between  the 
messes  of  the  officers  and  those  of  the  ships'  com- 
panies. 

Some  of  our  men  having,  in  the  course  of  their 
shooting  excursions,  been  exposed  for  several  hours 
to  the  glare  of  the  sun  and  snow,  returned  at  night 
much  affected  with  that  painful  inflammation  in  the 
eyes  occasioned  by  the  reflection  of  intense  light 
from  the  snow,  aided  by  the  warmth  of  the  sun,  and 
called  in  America  "snow  blindness."  This  com- 
plaint, of  which  the  sensation  exactly  resembles 
that  produced  by  large  particles  of  sand  or  dust  in 
the  eyes,  is  cured  by  some  tribes  of  American  In- 
dians by  holding  them  over  the  steam  of  warm 
water ;  but  we  found  a  cooling  wash,  made  by  a 
small  quantity  of  acetate  of  lead  mixed  with  cold 
water,  more  efficacious  in  relieving  the  irritation, 
which  was  always  done  in  three  or  four  days,  even 
in  the  most  severe  cases,  provided  the  eyes  were 
carefully  guarded  from  the  light.  As  a  preventive 
of  this  complaint,  a  piece  of  black  crape  was  given 
to  each  man,  to  be  worn  as  a  kind  of  short  veil  at- 
tached to  the  hat,  which  we  found  to  bo  very  ser- 
viceable. A  still  more  convenient  mode,  adopted 
by  some  of  the  officers,  was  found  equally  eflica- 


rm 


■'-. 


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=    ! 

Hi 

1,1 

I 

l;J 

106 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


cious ;  this  consisted  in  taking  the  glasses  out  of  a 
pair  of  spectacles,  and  substituting  black  or  green 
crape,  the  glass  having  been  found  to  heat  the  eyes 
aiid  increase  the  irritation. 
*  On  the  17th  we  completed  the  operation  of  cut- 
ting the  ice  round  the  Hecla,  which  was  performed 
in  the  following  manner.  We  began  by  digging  a 
large  hole  under  the  stern,  being  the  same  as  that 
in  which  the  tide-pole  was  placed,  in  order  to  enter 
the  saw,  which  occupied  us  nearly  two  days,  only 
a  small  number  of  men  being  able  to  work  at  it. 
In  the  mean  time,  all  the  snow  and  rubbish  was 
cleared  away  from  the  ship's  side,  leaving  only  the 
solid  ice  to  work  upon ;  and  a  trench,  two  feet  wide, 
was  cut  the  whole  length  of  the  starboard  side,  from 
the  stem  to  the  rudder,  keeping  within  an  inch  or 
two  of  the  bends,  and  taking  care  here  and  there 
to  leave  a  dike,  to  prevent  the  water  which  might 
ooze  into  one  part  from  filling  up  the  others  in 
which  the  men  were  working.  In  this  manner  was 
the  trench  cut  with  axes,  to  the  depth  of  about  four 
feet  and  a  half,  leaving  only  eighteen  inches  for  the 
saws  to  cut,  except  in  tbosp  places  where  the  dikes 
remained.  The  saw,  being  then  entered  in  the  hole 
under  the  stern,  was  worked  in  the  usual  manner, 
being  suspended  by  a  triangle  made  of  three  spars ; 
one  cut  being  made  on  the  outer  part  of  the  trench, 
and  a  second  within  an  inch  or  two  of  the  bends,  in 
order  to  avoid  injuring  the  planks.  A  small  portion 
of  ice  being  broken  off  now  and  then  by  bars,  hand- 
spikes, and  ice-chisels,  floated  to  the  surface,  and 
was  hooked  out  by  piecemeal.  This  operation  was 
a  cold  and  tedious  one,  and  required  nine  days  to 
complete  it.     When  the  workmen  had  this  morning 


I    ^ 


OF   A   NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


107 


completed  the  trench  within  ten  or  twelve  feet  of 
the  stern,  the  ship  suddenly  disengaged  herself  fromi 
the  ice,  to  which  she  had  before  been  firmly  adhe- 
ring on  the  larboard  side,  and  rose  in  the  waler 
about  ten  inches  abaft,  and  nearly  eighteen  inched 
forward,  with  a  considerable  surge.  This  circum^ 
stance  it  was  not  difficult  to  explain.  In  the  course 
of  the  winter,  the  strong  eddy- winds  about  the  ships 
had  formed  round  them  a  drift  of  snow  seven  or 
eight  feet  deep  in  some  parts,  and  perhaps  weigh, 
ing  a  hundred  tons ;  by  which  the  ice,  and  the  ships 
with  it,  were  carried  down  much  below  the  natural 
level  at  which  they  would  otherwise  have  floated. 
In  the  mean  time  the  ships  had  become  considerably 
lighter,  from  the  expenditure  of  several  months' 
provisions ;  so  that,  on  both  these  accounts,  they 
had  naturally  a  tendency  to  rise  in  the  water  as  soon 
as  they  were  set  at  liberty. 

A  party  of  hands  were  occupied  in  breaking  and 
weighing  the  stones  for  ballast,  while  others  were 
getting  out  the  sails  and  boats ;  and  our  carpenters, 
armorers,  coopers,  and  sail  makers  having  each 
their  respective  employments,  our  little  colony  now 
presented  the  most  busy  and  bustling  scene  that 
can  be  imagined.  It  was  found  necessary  to  caulk 
every  part  of  the  upper  works,  as  well  as  all  the 
decks,  the  seams  having  been  so  much  opened  by 
the  frost  as  to  require  at  least  one,  and  in  many 
parts  two  threads  of  oakiAn,  though  the  ship  had 
scarcely  ever  laboured  at  all  since  she  was  last 
caulked.  I  also  at  this  time  laid  out  a  small  garden, 
planting  it  with  radishes,  onions,  mustard,  and 
cress ;  and  a  similar  attempt  was  made  by  Lieuten- 
ant Liddon ;  but,  notwithstanding  every  care  and 


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108 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


attention  which  could  be  paid  to  it,  this  experiment 
may  be  said  to  have  wholly  failed,  the  radishes  not 
exceeding  an  inch  in  length  by  the  latter  end  of 
Jjily,  and  the  other  seeds  being  altogether  thrown 
away.  I  may  remark,  however,  that  some  common 
ships'  peas,  which  were  sown  by  our  people  for 
their  amusement,  were  found  to  thrive  so  well,  that, 
had  I  been  sooner  aware  of  it,  a  great  quantity  of 
the  leaves  at  least  of  this  vegetable  might  have  been 
grown,  which,  when  boiled  and  eaten  as  greens, 
would  have  been  no  small  treat  to  persons  deprived 
of  fresh  vegetable  substance  for  more  than  ten 
months.  ^    * 

Having  considered  that  an  examination  of  the 
extent  and  productions  of  the  island  might  be  con- 
ducive to  the  improvement  of  the  geography  and 
natural  history  of  these  regions,  and  the  good  state 
of  health  enjoyed  by  the  crews  permitting  a  certain 
number  of  men  to  be  spared  from  each  ship  during 
their  equipment  for  sea,  I  now  determined  to  under- 
take a  journey  into  the  interior  for  this  purpose, 
accompanied  by  a  certain  number  of  officers  and 
men  who  volunteered  their  services  on  the  occasion  ; 
and  the  1st  of  June  was  fixed  for  our  departure. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  24th  Mr.  Allison 
reported  that  he  had  felt  a  few  drops  of  rain  fall 
upon  his  face,  an  event  which  we  had  scarcely  dared 
to  anticipate  so  soon,  but  which  was  hailed  with 
much  satisfaction,  as  nothing  appears  to  be  so  ef- 
fectual as  rain  in  producing  the  dissolution  of  the 
ice.  The  clouds  had  a  watery  appearance  through- 
out the  day,  and  at  half  past  eight  in  the  evening 
we  were  agreeably  surprised  by  a  smart  shower  of 
rain,  which  wais  shortly  aller  succeeded  by  several 
others. 


»'        V 


w. 


Con- 


or A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


109 


Early  on  the  morning  of  the  29th  the  wind  in- 
creased to  a  fresh  gale  from  the  northward  and 
westward,  which  continued  during  the  day,  with  a 
heavy  fall  of  snow  and  a  tremendous  drift,  that 
prevented  our  seeing  to  the  distance  of  more  than 
twenty  yards  around  the  ships.  The  following  day 
being  fine,  I  took  my  travelling  party  to  the  top  of 
the  northeast  hill,  in  order  to  try  the  cart  which 
had  been  constructed  for  carrying  the  tents  and 
baggage,  and  which  appeared  to  answer  very  well. 
The  view  from  this  hill  was  not  such  as  to  offer 
much  encouragement  to  our  hopes  of  future  ad- 
vancement to  the  westward.  The  sea  still  pre- 
sented the  same  unbroken  and  continuous  surface 
of  solid  and  impenetrable  ice,  and  this  ice  could 
not  be  less  than  from  six  to  seven  feet  in  thickness, 
as  we  knew  it  to  be  about  the  ships.  When  to 
this  circumstance  was  added  the  consideration 
that  scarcely  the  slightest  symptoms  of  thawing 
had  yet  appeared,  and  that  in  three  weeks  from 
this  period  the  sun  would  again  begin  to  decline  to 
the  southward,  it  must  be  confessed  that  the  most 
sanguine  and  enthusiastic  among  us  had  some  rea- 
son to  be  staggered  in  the  expectations  they  had 
formed  of  the  complete  accomplishment  of  our  en- 
terprise. 

Vol.  I.— K 


.Hi- 


I   ;  1, 


.^1 


I** 


i  1 

i 

Ml 

Pil 

liM 

XIO 


VOYAGE  FOR  THS  DISCOVERY 


{} 


/ 


■*.  ^ 


'♦ » 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Joumey  across  Melville  Island  to  the  Northern  Shore,  and  Re- 
turn to  the  Ships  by  a  different  Route. 

The  weather  being  favourable  on  the  morning 
of  the  1st  of  June,  I  made  such  arrangements  as 
were  necessary  previous  to  my  <leparture  on  our 
intended  journey.  I  directed  Lieutenants  Liddoa 
and  Beechey  to  proceed  with  all  possible  despatch 
in  the  equipment  of  the  ships  for  sea,  having  them 
ready  to  sail  by  the  end  of  June,  in  order  that  we 
might  be  able  to  take  advantage  of  any  favourable 
alteration  in  the  state  of  the  ice  at  an  earlier  peri- 
od than  present  appearances  allowed  us  to  antici- 
pate. 

The  party  selected  to  accompany  me,  out  of  the 
»  numerous  volunteers  on  this  occasion,  consisted  of 
Captain  Sabine,  Messrs.  Fisher,  Nias,  Reid,  and 
Sergeant  M*Mahon,  of  the  marines.  Sergeant  Mar- 
tin, of  the  artillery,  and  three  seamen  and  two  ma- 
rines belonging  to  both  ships,  making  a  total  of 
twelve,  including  myself.  We  were  supplied  with 
provisions  for  three  weeks,  according  to  the  daily 
proportion  of  one  pound  of  biscuit,  two  thirds  of  a 
pound  of  preserved  meat,  one  ounce  of  salep  pow- 
der, one  ounce  of  sugar,  and  half  a  pint  of  spirits 
for  each  man.  Two  tents,  of  the  kind  called  in  the 
army  horsemen's  tents,  were  made  of  blankets,  with 
two  boarding-pikes  fixed  across  at  each  end,  and  a 


I 


'  Iff^' 


OF  A   NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


Ill 


ridge-rope  along  the  top^  which,  with  slpnes  laid 
upon  the  foot  of  the  blankets,  made  a  very  com- 
fortable and  portable  shelter.  These  tents,  with 
the  whole  of  the  provisions,  together  with  a  conju- 
ror or  cooking  apparatus,  and  a  small  quantity  of 
wood  for  fuel,  amounting  in  the  whole  to  eight 
hundred  pounds,  were  carried  upon  a  strong  but 
light  cart  constructed  for  the  purpose  :  this  method 
having  been  decided  on  as  the  most  convenient  for 
the  country  in  which  we  were  about  to  travel. 

Each  officer  and  man  was  also  furnished  with  a 
blanket  made  into  a  bag,  with  a  drawing-string  at 
each  end,  a  pair  of  spare  shoes  and  stockings,  a 
flannel  shirt,  and  a  cap  to  sleep  in.  The  clothing 
and  blankets  were  carried  on  our  backs  in  knap- 
sacks, those  of  the  officers  weighing  from  seven- 
teen to  twenty,  four  pounds  each,  and  one  between 
every  two  men  weighing  twenty-four  pounds,  to  be 
carried  for  half  a  day  alternately. 

At  five  P.M.  we  left  the  ships,  accompanied  by 
a  large  party  of  officers  and  men  from  each,  who 
were  desirous  of  relieving  us  from  the  weight  of 
our  knapsacks  for  an  hour  or  two ;  and,  having 
been  cheered  by  the  ships  on  our  departure,  we 
went  round  the  head  of  the  harbour,  and  ascended 
the  northeast  hill.  Our  companions  left  us  at  eight 
P.M.,  and  we  proceeded  across  a  level  plain  almost 
entirely  covered  with  snow,  which,  however,  was 
so  hard  as  to  make  the  travelling  very  good  ;  and 
the  cart  was  dragged  along  without  difficulty.  At 
eleven  P.M.  we  came  to  three  remarkable  round 
hills ;  composed  entirely  of  sand  and  masses  of 
sandstone,  and  halted  to  dine  close  to  the  northward 
of  them.    Those  parts  of  the  land  which  were  clear 


112 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


of  snow  appeared  to  be  more  productive  than  those 
in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  Winter  Har- 
bour, the  dwarf-willow,  sorrel,  and  poppy  being 
more  abundant,  and  the  moss  more  luxuriant ;  we 
could  not,  however,  collect  a  sufficient  quantity  of 
the  slender  wood  of  the  willow,  in  a  dry  state,  for 
the  purpose  of  dissolving  snow  for  water,  and  were 
therefore  obliged  to  use  a  part  of  the  fuel  which 
we  had  provided  for  that  purpose.  The  thermom- 
eter stood  at  31°  at  midnight. 

Having  set  off  soon  after  midnight,  at  the  dis- 
tance of  half  a  mile  in  a  N.b.E.  direction  we  came 
to  a  piece  of  frozen  water,  half  a  mile  in  length 
and  two  hundred  yards  wide,  situated  on  the  south 
side  of  the  range  of  hills  which  bound  the  prospect 
from  Winter  Harbour.  The  ice  on  the  surface  of 
this  lake  or  pond  was  in  some  parts  nearly  dis- 
solved, and  in  all  too  soft  to  allow  us  to  cross  it. 
We  halted  at  half  past  six  A.M.,  and  pitched  the 
tents  on  the  hardest  ground  we  could  find,  but  it 
became  quite  swampy  in  the  course  of  the  day. 
We  killed  seven  ptarmigan,  and  saw  two  plovers 
and  two  deer,  being  the  first  we  had  met  with  this 
season,  with  a  fawn  so  small  as  to  leave  no  doubt 
of  its  having  been  dropped  since  the  arrival  of  the 
female  upon  the  island.  They  were  so  wild  as  not 
to  allow  us  to  approach  them  within  a  quarter  of 
a  mile.  The  day  was  fine,  with  light  and  variable 
airs ;  the  thermometer  stood  at  34°  in  the  shade 
at  seven  A.M.,  at  which  time  it  was  unfortunately 
broken.  ,..  ^ 

We  again  set  forward  at  two  A.M.  on  the  3d, 
crossing  one  or  two  ravines,  running  E.N.E.  and 
W.S.  W.,  in  which  there  was  a  large  collection  of 


•f? 


1.1 


■  HM 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


113 


•i  - ;  J 


of 


snow,  but  as  yet  no  appearance  of  water  in  the  bot- 
tom of  them.  Captain  Sabine  and  myself,  being 
considerably  ahead  of  the  rest  of  the  party,  had  sat 
down  to  wait  for  them,  when  a  fine  reindeer  came 
trotting  up,  and  played  round  us  for  a  quarter  of  an 
hour,  within  thirty  yards.  We  had  no  gun,  nor  do 
I  know  that  we  should  have  killed  it  if  we  had,  there 
being  already  as  much  weight  upon  the  cart  as  the 
men  could  well  drag,  and  having  no  fuel  to  spare 
for  cooking ;  besides,  we  felt  it  would  have  been 
but  an  ill  return  for  the  confidence  which  he  seem- 
ed willing  to  place  in  us.  On  hearing  our  people 
talking  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  ravine,  the  deer 
immediately  crossed  over,  and  went  directly  up  to 
them,  with  very  little  caution  ;  and  they  being  less 
scrupulous  than  we  were,  one  or  two  shots  were 
immediately  fired  at  him,  but  without  eflfect ;  on 
which  he  again  crossed  over  to  where  we  were  sit- 
ting,  approaching  us  nearer  than  before.  As  soon 
as  we  rose  up  and  walked  on,  he  accompanied  us 
like  a  dog,  sometimes  trotting  ahead  of  us,  and  then 
returning  within  forty  or  fifty  yards.  When  we 
halted,  at  six  A.M.,  to  make  the  usual  observations, 
he  remained  by  us  till  the  rest  of  the  party  came 
up,  and  then  trotted  off.  The  reindeer  is  by  no 
means  a  graceful  animal ;  its  high  shoulders,  and 
an  awkward  stoop  in  its  head,  giving  it  rather  a 
deformed  appearance.  Our  new  acquaintance  had 
no  horns ;  he  was  of  a  brownish  colour,  with  a 
black  saddle,  a  broad  black  rim  round  the  eyes, 
and  very  white  about  the  tail.  We  observed  that, 
whenever  he  was  about  to  set  oflf,  he  made  a  sort 
of  playful  gambol,  by  rearing  on  his  hind  legs. 
At  two  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  4th  we 

K2 


m 

V  I  Til 


.^1^ 


114 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


continued  our  journey  to  the  northward,  over  the 
same  snowy  and  level  plain  as  before,  than  which 
it  is  impossible  to  conceive  anything  more  dreary 
and  uninteresting.  It  frequently  happened  that,  for 
an  hour  together,  not  a  single  spot  of  uncovered 
ground  could  be  seen.  The  breeze  freshened  up 
to  a  gale  from  the  S.S.E.  as  we  proceeded,  and 
the  men,  as  if  determined  not  to  forget  that  they 
were  sailors,  set  a  large  blanket  upon  the  cart  as  a 
sail,  which,  upon  the  present  level  ground,  was 
found  to  be  of  material  assistance.  The  snow  was 
deep  and  rather  soft,  which  made  the  travelling 
heavy ;  and  as  the  wind  produced  a  good  deal  of 
snowdrift,  most  of  the  bare  patches  of  ground  be- 
came covered  up,  so  that,  when  our  time  for  halt- 
ing  had  arrived,  not  a  piece  of  ground  could  be 
seen  on  which  to  pitch  the  tents.  Captain  Sabine 
and  myself  went  forward  to  look  out  for  a  spot, 
and  at  length  were  fortunate  to  meet  with  one,  on 
which  there  was  just  room  for  our  little  encamp- 
ment. It  was  with  some  difficulty,  by  building  a 
wall  with  stones  and  our  knapsacks,  that  we  pre- 
vented its  being  covered  with  snow  before  the  party 
came  up,  which  they  did  at  half  past  seven  A.M., 
having  travelled  ten  miles  in  a  N.W.b.N.  direc- 
tion. 

By  the  time  we  had  secured  the  tents  the  wdnd 
blew  hard,  with  a  continued  fall,  as  well  as  drift  of 
snow,  so  that  we  could  not  but  consider  ourselves 
fortunate  in  having  met  with  a  spot  of  ground  in 
good  time.  Notwithstanding  the  inclemency  of 
the  weather,  we  found  the  tents  afford  us  very  com- 
fortable and  sufficient  shelter,  the  cart  being  tilted 
up  to  windward  of  them,  so  as  to  break  in  some 


w 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


115 


measure  the  violence  of  the  wind ;  and,  when  wrap- 
ped up,  or,  rather,  enclosed  in  our  blanket-bags, 
we  were  generally  quite  warm  enough  to  enjoy  the 
most  sound  and  refreshing  repose. 

It  continued  to  blow  and  snow  till  seven  P.M., 
when  the  wind  having  veered  to  the  S.W.,  and  be- 
come more  moderate,  we  struck  the  tents  ;  and 
having  now  placed  the  men's  knapsacks  on  the 
cart,  to  enable  them  to  drag  with  greater  facility, 
we  proceeded  on  our  journey  to  the  northward. 
We  passed  a  narrow  but  deep  ravine  lying  across 
our  course,  in  some  parts  of  which  the  snow  reach- 
ed nearly  to  a  level  with  the  banks,  forming  a  kind 
of  bridges  or  causeways,  on  one  of  which  we  cross- 
ed without  difficulty.  The  men  had  hoisted  one 
sail  upon  the  cart  at  first  setting  off;  but  the  wind 
being  now,  as  they  expressed  it,  "  on  the  larboard 
quarter,"  a  second  blanket  was  rigged  as  a  main- 
sail, to  their  great  amusement  as  well  as  relief. 

After  crossing  a  second  ravine,  on  the  north  side 
of  which  the  ground  rose  considerably,  we  entered 
upon  another  snowy  plain,  where  there  was  no- 
thing to  be  seen  in  any  direction  but  snow  and  sky. 
To  make  it  the  more  dreary,  a  thick  fog  came  on 
as  the  night  advanced ;  and  as  this  prevented  our 
taking  any  mark  more  than  fifty  or  a  hundred  yards 
ahead,  we  had  to  place  the  compass,  by  which  we 
were  now  entirely  travelling,  upon  the  ground  every 
five  minutes ;  and  as  it  traversed  with  great  slug- 
gishness, we  made  a  very  crooked  and  uncertain 
course.  For  more  than  two  hours  we  did  not  pass 
a  single  spot  of  uncovered  ground,  nor  even  a  stone 
projecting  above  the  snow. 

The  fo£:  continued  too  thick  to  allow  us  to  move 


;'^Ir, 


All 

ij 


'  h 


ib 


116 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


: 


I 


till  six  A.M.,  at  which  time  we  resumed  our  jour- 
ney. There  was  a  broad  and  distant  haze-bow  of 
very  white  and  dazzling  light  directly  opposite  the 
sun.  The  weather  being  still  too  foggy  to  see 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  ahead,  it  was  with 
considerable  difficulty  that  we  could  proceed  on  a 
tolerably  straight  course.  To  effect  this,  it  was 
necessary  to  determine  the  point  on  which  we  were 
walking  by  the  bearing  of  the  sun,  which  was  still 
visible,  and  the  apparent  time,  and  then  to  take  a 
mark  ahead  by  which  our  course  was  to  be  directed. 
From  the  thickness  of  the  weather,  however,  it 
was  necessary  to  repeat  this  operation  every  five 
or  ten  minutes,  which,  together  with  the  uniform 
whiteness  and  intense  glare  of  the  snow,  became 
so  extremely  painful  to  the  eyes,  that  Mr.  Fisher 
and  myself,  who  went  ahead  as  guides,  soon  became 
affected  with  snow-blindness,  and  the  headmost 
man  at  the  cart,  whose  business  it  was  constantly 
to  watch  our  motions,  began  to  suffer  in  a  similar 
manner  from  the  same  cause. 

It  may,  perhaps,  be  conceived,  then,  under  these 
circumstances,  how  pleasing  was  the  relief  afforded 
by  our  seeing,  at  eight  A.M.,  a  stripe  of  black  or 
uncovered  land  ahead,  which  proved  to  be  the  bank 
of  a  ravine  fifty  or  sixty  feet  deep  and  three  hun- 
dred yards  wide,  on  the  north  side  of  which  we 
pitched  the  tents,  having  made  good  only  one  mile 
and  a  half,  the  snow  being  so  soft  and  deep  as  to 
make  it  difficult  to  drag  the  cart  through  it. 

The  latitude  observed  here  was  75'^  22'  43",  and 
the  longitude,  by  the  chronometer,  111°  14'  26",  in 
which  situation  a  cylinder  of  tin,  containing  an  ac- 
count of  our  visit,  was  deposited  under  a  pile  of 


OF   A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


117 


r  jour- 
bow  of 
ite  the 
to  see 
LS  with 
d  on  a 
it  was 
e  were 
as  still 
take  a 
rected. 
ver,  it 
ry  five 
niform 
►ecame 
Fisher 
lecame 
id  most 
stantly 
dmilar 

these 
forded 
Lck  or 
bank 
hun- 
jh  we 
mile 
as  to 

t',  and 

,  m 

in  ac- 

le  of 


■ 


^ 


stones  eight  feet  high  and  seven  feet  broad  at  the 
base. 

The  wind  increased  to  a  fresh  breeze  from  the 
S.S.E.  on  the  6th,  with  a  sharp  frost,  making  it  very 
cold  in  the  tents,  which  we  therefore  struck  at  four 
A.M.,  and  at  the  distance  of  half  a  mile  came  to 
the  summit  of  a  hill  overlooking  what  appeared  to 
be  a  frozen  sea  before  us.  We  then  descended 
the  hill,  with  the  intention  of  pushing  forward  to 
determine  whether  the  white  and  level  space  be- 
fore us  was  the  sea  or  not.  We  had  not  proceed- 
ed far,  however,  when  the  clouds  began  to  gather 
heavily  in  the  southeast,  and  shortly  after  snow 
and  sleet  began  to  fall.  Being  unwilling,  there- 
fore, to  allow  the  men's  clothes  to  be  wet  when 
there  was  no  absolute  occasion  for  it,  we  halted  on 
a  piece  of  dry  ground,  and,  having  built  a  wall  six 
feet  high  to  shelter  us  from  the  weather,  pitched  the 
tents  very  comfortably  under  the  lee  of  it  till  the 
weather  should  allow  us  to  proceed. 

At  six  P.M.,  the  wind  having  gradually  got 
round  to  the  N.N.E.,  and  the  weather  being  more 
clear  and  cold,  I  set  out,  accompanied  by  Messrs. 
Nias  and  Reid.  and  a  quartermaster  of  the  Gri- 
per, with  the  intention  of  examining  the  situation 
and  appearance  of  the  sea  to  the  northward  ;  leav- 
ing the  rest  of  the  party,  several  of  whom  were  suf- 
fering from  snow-blindness,  though  otherwise  in 
good  health,  to  remain  quietly  in  the  tents  till  our 
return.  Having  travelled  N.N.W.  a  mile  and  a 
half  through  much  deep  snow,  of  which  a  good  deal 
had  fallen  during  the  day,  we  came  to  some  ice 
thrown  up  on  the  beach,  having  cracks  in  it  paral- 
lel to  the  line  of  the  shore,  which  we  immediately 


:|i 


*  (  . 


•        t 


118 


VOYAGE   FOR   THE   DISCOVERY 


I.  . '  "  •! 


recognised  to  be  of  the  same  kind  as  those  to  which 
we  had  so  long  been  accustomed  in  Winter  Har- 
bour, and  which  are  occasioned  by  the  rise  and  fall 
of  the  tide.  We  turned  to  the  westward  along  the 
beach,  and  at  the  distance  of  two  miles  ascended  a 
point  of  land  in  that  direction,  from  whence  we  had 
a  commanding  view  of  the  objects  around  us.  As 
soon  as  we  had  gained  the  summit  of  this  point, 
which  is  about  eighty  feet  above  the  sea,  we  had 
an  additional  confirmation  that  it  was  the  sea 
which  we  had  now  reached,  the  ice  being  thrown 
upon  the  beach  under  the  point,  and  as  far  as  we 
could  see  to  the  westward,  in  large,  high,  irregular 
masses,  exactly  similar  to  those  which  had  so  often 
afforded  us  anchorage  and  shelter  upon  the  south- 
ern shores  of  the  island.  Being  desirous,  however, 
of  leaving  nothing  uncertain  respecting  it,  we  walk- 
ed out  a  few  hundred  yards  upon  the  ice,  and  be- 
gan with  a  boarding-pike  and  our  knives,  which 
were  all  the  tools  we  had,  to  dig  a  hole  in  it,  in  or- 
der to  taste  the  water  beneath.  After  nearly  two 
hours'  labour,  we  could  only  get  down  as  many 
feet,  the  ice  being  very  hard,  brittle,  and  transpa- 
rent ;  more  so,  as  we  inagined,  than  salt-water  ice 
usually  is,  which  made  us  the  more  desirous  to  get 
through  it.  I  therefore  determined  to  return  to 
our  people,  and  to  remove  our  encampment  hither, 
for  the  purpose  of  completing  the  hole  through  the 
ice  with  all  our  hands,  while  we  were  obtaining  the 
necessary  observations  on  shore. 

On  our  return  to  the  tents,  we  dined,  and  rested 
till  one  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  7th,  when 
we  set  out  for  the  point,  at  which  we  did  not  arrive 
till  half  past  four,  the  snow  being  here  so  deep  as 


which 
r  Har- 
ind  fall 
>ng  the 
nded  a 
we  had 
s.     As 
I  point, 
we  had 
he   sea 
thrown 
r  as  we 
regular 
30  often 
5  south- 
awever, 
e  walk- 
md  be- 
,  which 
t,  in  or- 
rly  two 
3  many 
rans pa- 
ter ice 
to  get 
to 
hither, 
gh  the 
ing  the 

rested 
,  when 

arrive 
[ecp  as 


turn 


OP  A  NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


119 


i 


to  make  the  cart  an  improper,  and,  indeed,  almost 
impracticable  mode  of  conveying  our  baggage.  It 
froze  all  day  in  the  shade,  with  a  fresh  breeze  from 
the  north ;  and,  though  the  tents  were  pitched  under 
the  lee  of  the  grounded  ice  upon  the  beach,  we 
found  it  extremely  cold ;  all  the  pools  of  water 
were  frozen  hard  during  the  night,  and  some  of  our 
canteens  burst  from  the  same  cause.  The  people 
were  allowed  to  rest  after  their  supper  till  four 
P.M.,  and  were  then  set  to  work  upon  the  ice  and 
in  building  a  monument  on  the  top  of  the  Point. 

We  dined  at  midnight ;  and  at  half  past  one 
A.M.  on  the  8th  struck  the  tents,  and  drew  the 
cart  to  the  higher  part  of  the  Point,  where  we  oc- 
cupied two  hours  in  completing  our  monument, 
which  is  of  a  conical  form,  twelve  feet  broad  at  the 
base,  and  as  many  in  height.  Within  it  were  de- 
posited a  tin  cylinder,  containing  an  account  of  the 
party  who  had  left  it,  and  one  or  two  silver  and 
copper  English  coins.  This  monument  may  be 
seen  at  several  miles'  distance  from  the  sea  or  land 
side ;  and,  as  great  pains  were  taken  by  Mr.  Fish- 
er in  constructing  it,  it  may  probably  last  for  a  long 
period  of  years. 

Having  now  satisfactorily  determined  the  extent 
of  Melville  Island  to  the  northward  upon  this  me- 
ridian,  which  corresponds  very  nearly  with  that  of 
Winter  Harbour,  and  finished  all  the  requisite  ob- 
servations, I  proposed  pursuing  our  journey  to- 
wards the  Blue  Hills,  which  were  still  in  sight  at 
the  distance  of  several  leagues  to  the  westward  ; 
and,  having  advanced  to  the  southwest  as  long  as 
circumstances  should  appear  to  make  it  interesting 
or  practicable,  to  return  by  a  circuitous  route  to 


:!i 


m 

.1*  ^ 

...jl 

'>: 

< 


'     ! 


Ii 


w 


111 


:li 


l!|f 


h:^ 


120 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE   DISCOVERY 


the  ships.  We  travelled  in  a  W,  \  S.  direction, 
in  order  to  keep  on  a  ridge  along  the  coast,  which 
afforded  the  only  tolerable  walking,  the  snow  being 
very  deep  on  the  lower  parts  of  the  land.  We 
halted  at  half  past  seven  A.M.,  on  a  fine  sandy- 
ground,  which  gave  us  the  softest,  as  well  as  the 
driest  bed  which  we  had  yet  experienced  on  our 
journey,  and  which  was  situated  close  to  a  liule 
hillock  of  earth  and  moss,  so  full  of  the  burrows  of 
hares  as  to  resemble  a  warren.  We  tried  to  smoke 
them  out  by  burning  port-fire,  but  none  appeared  ; 
and  it  is  remarkable,  that  though  we  constantly 
met  with  the  dung  of  these  animals,  especially  in 
this  place,  where  it  occurred  very  abundantly,  we 
never  saw  one  of  them  during  the  journey.  As 
soon  as  we  had  halted,  we  found  that  Mr.  Reid's 
knapsack  had  dropped  off  the  cart ;  he  had  there- 
fore to  go  back  to  look  for  it,  and  did  not  return 
till  eleven  o'clock,  being  so  much  affected  by  snow- 
blindness  as  to  be  scarcely  able  to  see  his  way  to 
the  tents.  This  circumstance  was  sufficient  to 
show  the  advantage,  and  even  the  necessity,  of 
travelling  entirely  by  night  under  these  circum- 
stances, the  intense  glare  of  light  from  the  snow 
during  the  day  inevitably  producing  this  painful  ir- 
ritation in  the  eyes. 

At  a  quarter  past  five  P.M.  we  resumed  our 
journey  to  the  southwest,  and  soon  after  crossed  a 
snowy  plain  a  mile  and  a  quarter  in  breadth,  extend- 
ing to  the  sea  to  the  north,  and  as  far  as  the  eye 
could  reach  to  the  south.  Having  travelled  S.W. 
b.  W.  seven  miles,  we  halted,  at  half  an  hour  before 
midnight,  at  the  distance  of  three  or  four  miles  from 
the  sea,  the  wenther  being  very  clear  and  fine,  with 
a  moderate  breeze  from  the  S.S.W, 


^ 


OF   A   NORTHWEST  PASSAGE, 


121 


ection, 
which 
V  being 
.     We 
sandy 
as  the 
on  our 
a  linle 
rows  of 
I  smoke 
leared  ; 
istantly 
ially  in 
itly,  we 
V.     As 
"Reid's 
there- 
return 
snow, 
way  to 
ent   to 
sity,  of 
ircum- 
snow 
nful  ir- 

d  our 
)ssed  a 
xtend- 
he  eye 
S.W. 
before 
s  from 
le,  with 


Having  rested  after  our  dinner  till  half  past  two 
A.M.,  we  set  out  again  to  the  southwest,  making, 
however,  a  very  crooked  course  on  account  of  the 
irregularity  of  the  ground.  In  the  first  quarter  of 
a  mile  we  passed  the  first  running  stream  which 
we  had  seen  this  season,  and  this  was  but  a  small 
one,  from  six  to  twelve  inches  deep.  The  ground, 
as  well  as  the  pools  of  water,  was  frozen  hard  du- 
ring the  last  night,  but  thawed  during  the  day,  which 
made  travelling  worse  and  worse,  as  the  sun  acqui- 
red power.  We  passed  a  few  horns  of  deer,  kill- 
ed three  ptarmigans,  and  saw  a  pair  of  ducks.  The 
plumage  of  the  cock  grouse  was  stiU  quite  white,  ex- 
cept near  the  tip  of  the  tail,  where  the  feathers  were 
of  a  fine  glossy  black ;  but  in  every  hen  which  we 
had  lately  killed,  a  very  perceptible  alteration  was 
apparent,  even  from  day  to  day,  and  their  plumage 
had  now  nearly  assumed  that  speckled  colour  which, 
from  its  resemblance  to  that  of  the  ground,  is  so  ad- 
mirably adapted  to  preserve  them  from  being  seen 
at  the  season  of  their  incubation.  We  found  it  dif- 
ficult, in  general,  to  get  near  the  hens,  which  were 
very  wild  ;  but  the  male  birds  were  at  all  times  stu- 
pidly tame. 

At  half  past  two  A.M.  on  the  10th  we  struck 
the  tents,  and  proceeded  to  the  S.  W.,  the  wind  hav- 
ing got  round  to  the  S.E.,  with  continued  snow. 
At  the  distance  of  two  miles  we  entered  upon  a  lev- 
el plain  three  miles  wide,  which,  with  the  exception 
of  a  patch  here  and  there,  was  entirely  covered 
with  snow.  The  uncovered  parts  of  this  plain  were 
so  wet  as  to  be  almost  impassable  for  the  cart ;  and 
we  were  now  as  desirous  of  keeping  on  the  snow 

Vol.  I.— L 


< 


I.!  >  I.' 


* 

.!•  ^ 

■ 

^ 

'      '* 

■'■  1 

i   '. 

\' 

t  ; 

i 

ill 

M 

122 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


as,  at  the  beginning  of  our  journey  from  Winter 
Harbour,  we  had  been  anxious  to  avoid  it. 

The  weather  continued  hazy,  with  snow  oc- 
casionally, but  our  clothes  dried  in  the  sun  towards 
noon ;  soon  after  which,  however,  the  snow  became 
more  thick  and  constant,  so  that  we  could  scarcely 
see  a  hundred  yards  around  the  tents.  We  waited 
for  some  time  in  hope  of  the  weather  clearing,  and 
then,  at  a  quarter  past  five,  continued  our  journey ; 
as  we  were  under  the  necessity,  however,  of  direct- 
ing our  course  entirely  by  compass,  which  is  here 
a  very  uncertain  and  deceitful  guide,  we  made  but 
a  slow  and  tedious  progress.  The  wind  freshened 
up  to  a  gale  from  the  S.E.  soon  after  we  had  set 
out,  which  made  it  impossible  for  us  any  longer  to 
pursue  our  journey,  and  we  began  to  look  out  for 
a  spot  on  which  the  tents  could  be  pitched,  so  as  to 
afford  us  a  dry  flooring,  if  not  shelter,  during  the 
gale.  Having  crossed  three  ravines  within  a  mile 
and  a  quarter,  we  at  length  came  to  a  very  deep  one, 
which  was  nearly  perpendicular  on  each  side,  with 
the  snow  overhanging  in  some  parts,  so  as  to  make 
it  dangerous  to  go  near  the  edge  of  the  bank.  We 
were  at  length  fortunate  in  finding  a  narrow,  sloping 
ridge  of  snow,  leading  down  to  the  bottom  of  the 
ravine  ;  and  having  descended  this  with  some  diffi- 
culty, we  found  such  good  shelter  as  to  determine 
me  to  halt  here  for  the  night,  which  now  became 
more  and  more  inclement. 

Tbo  wind  gradually  veered  to  the  N.N.  W.  in  the 
moiiung,  and  the  weather  having  cleared  up  about 
half  past  four,  we  struck  the  tents  and  set  off  to  the 
southward.  The  south  bank  of  the  ravine  being 
nearly  as  steep,  and  much  higher  than  the  other,  it 


OF  A   NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


123 


was  with  considerable  labour  and  difficulty  that  we 
were  able  to  get  the  cart  up  it,  in  which,  however, 
we  succeeded  by  six  o'clock,  when  we  found  that 
we  were  travelling  on  much  higher  ground  than  be- 
fore, overlooking  that  which  we  had  left  the  prece- 
ding evening.  Having  proceeded  four  miles  over 
a  level  country,  with  much  snow  upon  it,  we  sud- 
denly and  unexpectedly  came  in  sight  of  the  sea 
or  a  lake,  at  the  distance  of  two  or  three  miles  be- 
fore us,  just  appearing  between  two  high  and  steep 
hills,  which  terminated  a  deep  and  broad  ravine. 
We  hastened  forward  to  the  point  of  the  nearest 
hill,  from  whence  the  prospect  was  extremely  grand 
and  picturesque.  We  were  looking  down  nearly 
perpendicular  from  a  height  of  eight  or  nine  hun- 
dred feet,  on  an  extensive  plain  of  ice,  of  which,  to 
the  westward,  we  could  perceive  no  termination  for 
a  distance  of  five  or  six  leagues,  the  prospect  to  the 
eastward  being  obstructed  by  other  hills.  A  thick 
mist  or  vapour  was  at  times  carried  rapidly  along 
by  the  wind  over  this  ice,  to  which  it  was  entirely 
confined,  occasionally  covering  the  top  of  the  island 
with  a  dense  cloud.  The  impression  made  upon 
our  minds  at  the  time  was,  that  it  was  a  frozen  lake 
on  which  we  were  now  looking ;  but  this  conjecture, 
as  it  afterward  appeared,  proved  erroneous.  The 
ravine  at  which  we  had  arrived  discharges  its  wa- 
ters into  a  snug  cove  two  or  three  miles  deep,  at  the 
head  of  which  we  now  proposed  resting,  if  a  place 
could  be  found  at  which  our  descent  into  the  ravine 
could  be  effected.  The  sides  of  the  ravine,  which 
were  very  steep,  were  covered  with  innumerable 
blocks  of  sandstone  of  every  size  and  shape,  over 
which  alone  any  road  could  be  found  to  the  cove 


'I 

9. 


■I 


I   ■       > 

i.  ■* 


I 

■»* 


{( 


J  M 


,    i,i:  , 


,     1 


ll '' 


Rii:*!' 


124 


VOYAGE   FOR  THE   DISCOVERT 


below.  It  was  necessary,  therefore,  to  make  the 
attempt,  but  it  was  impossible  for  the  best  built  car- 
riage to  travel  long  on  such  a  road ;  and  when  we 
had  half  descended  the  bank,  which  led  into  the 
ravine  on  its  north  side,  the  axle-tree  broke  short 
in  the  middle.  The  baggage  was  therefore  taken 
off  and  carried  down  to  the  bottom,  where  the  tents 
were  pitched  at  eleven  A.M.,  the  wheels  being  left 
where  the  cart  broke  down,  as  sound  as  at  first. 

The  latitude  observed  here  was  75°  12'  50",  the 
longitude,  by  chronometer,  111°  50'  05",  and  the 
variation  of  the  magnetic  needle  125°  12'  22"  east- 
erly. The  wind  being  fresh  from  the  W.N.W., 
and  the  weather  being  cold  and  raw,  we  built  a 
wail  to  the  windward  of  the  tents,  as  a  substitute 
for  the  usual  shelter  afforded  by  the  cart;  after 
supper,  the  people,  being  a  good  deal  fatigued,  were 
allowed  to  rest  till  near  midnight,  and  then  employ- 
ed in  arranging  the  baggage  so  as  to  carry  it  on 
our  shoulders  for  the  rest  of  the  journey.  The 
wood  which  composed  the  light  framework  of  the 
cart  being  now  disposable  as  fuel,  we  were  glad  to 
make  use  of  it  in  cooking  a  few  ptarmigan,  which 
afforded  us  another  sumptuous  meal.  It  is  not,  per- 
haps, easy  for  those  who  have  never  experienced  it, 
to  imagine  how  great  a  luxury  anything  warm  in 
this  way  becomes,  after  living  entirely  upon  cold 
provisions  for  some  time  in  this  rigid  climate.  This 
change  was  occasionally  the  more  pleasant  to  us, 
from  the  circumstance  of  the  preserved  meats,  on 
which  we  principally  lived,  being  generally  at  this 
time  hard  frozen  when  taken  out  of  the  canisters. 

Having  finished  our  arrangements  with  respect 
to  the  baggage,  which  made  it  necessary  that  each 


i^t 


A- 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


125 


of  the  men  should  carry  between  sixty  and  seventy 
pounds,  and  the  officers  from  forty  to  fifty,  we  struck 
the  tents  at  half  past  two  on  the  morning  of  the 
12th,  and  proceeded  along  the  eastern  shore  of  the 
cove,  towards  a  point  which  forms  the  entrance  on 
that  side. 

We  arrived  at  the  point  at  five  o'clock,  and  as 
we  could  now  perceive  that  the  lake  or  gulf  extend- 
ed a  considerable  distance  to  the  eastward  as  well 
as  to  the  westward,  and  that  it  would  require  a  long 
time  to  go  round  in  the  former  direction,  I  deter- 
mined to  cross  it  on  the  ice ;  and  as  the  distance 
to  the  opposite  shore  seemed  too  great  for  one  jour- 
ney, the  snow  being  soft  upon  the  ice,  first  to  visit 
the  island,  and,  having  rested  there,  to  proceed  to 
the  southward.  Having  walked  five  miles  in  a  S. 
S.W.  direction,  we  landed  at  seven  A.M.,  near  the 
southeast  part  of  the  island.  The  wind  was  fresh 
from  the  westward,  and  the  tents  were  pitched  near 
the  beach,  under  the  lee  of  the  high  part  of  the 
island. 

We  rested  till  six  P.M.,  and  then  set  off  across 
the  ice  for  a  point  to  the  E.S.E.  The  snow  had 
now  become  so  soft  afler  the  heat  of  the  day,  that, 
loaded  as  we  were,  we  often  sunk  nearly  up  to  the 
knees,  which  made  travelling  very  laborious,  and 
we  were,  therefore,  not  sorry  to  get  on  shore  by 
half  past  eight,  having  walked,  by  our  account, 
three  miles  and  a  half. 

The  spot  on  which  we  encamped  appeared  so 
favourable  for  obtaining  specimens  of  the  different 
animals  which  frequent  this  island,  that  I  determin- 
ed to  remain  here  one  day  for  the  purpose  of  sport- 
ing and  examining  its  natural  productions. 

L2 


II 


'H 


..» 


4,*e* 


l.pi' 


y .  fi* 


f  IP?t! 


i.i^ 


126 


VOYAGE   POR  THE  DISCOVERY 


The  sportsmen  went  out  early  in  the  morning, 
and  soon  after  met  with  a  musk-ox  feeding  on  a 
spot  of  luxuriant  pasture-ground,  covered  with  the 
dung  of  these  animals  as  well  as  of  deer.  They 
fired  at  him  from  a  considerable  distance  without 
wounding  him,  and  he  set  off  at  a  very  quick  pace 
over  the  hills.  The  musk-ox  has  the  appearance 
of  a  very  ill-proportioned  little  animal,  its  hair  be- 
ing so  long  as  to  make  its  feet  appear  only  two  or 
three  inches  in  length ;  they  seem,  indeed,  to  be 
treading  upon  it  at  every  step,  and  the  individual 
in  question  actually  did  so  in  some  instances,  as  the 
haii*  was  found  in  several  of  the  foot-tracks.  When 
disturbed  and  hunted,  they  frequently  tore  up  the 
ground  with  their  horns,  and  turned  round  occasion- 
ally to  look  at  their  pursuers,  but  they  never  at- 
tempted to  attack  any  of  them.  Our  gentlemen 
also  met  with  a  herd  of  twelve  deer,  three  only  of 
which  had  horns,  and  they  were  much  the  largest 
of  the  herd,  and  constantly  drove  the  others  away 
when  they  attempted  to  stop.  The  birds  seen  by 
our  people  were  many  brent-geese  and  ptarmigans, 
several  golden  plovers,  one  or  two  "  boatswains," 
and  abundance  of  snow-buntings.  One  or  two 
mice  were  caught ;  like  several  others  we  had  seen, 
these  were  turning  brown  about  the  belly  and  head, 
and  the  back  was  of  a  dark  gray  colour.  In  every 
part  of  the  island  over  which  we  travelled,  the 
holes  and  tracks  of  these  little  animals  were  occa- 
sionally seen ;  one  of  them,  which  Sergeant  Martin 
ran  after,  finding  no  hole  near  and  that  he  could 
not  escape,  set  himself  against  a  stone,  as  if  en- 
deavouring to  defend  himself,  and  bit  the  sergeant's 
finger  when  he  took  hold  of  him. 


1 


rv   A  Nr^milWr.ST  PASSAGE. 


127 


two 

;een, 

lead, 

|very 

the 

icca. 

rtin 

.uld 

en- 

tnt's 


On  a  \  lint  of  land  at  the  distance  of  three 
quarters  of  a  mile  to  the  W.b.S.  of  the  tents,  and 
within  a  hundred  yards  of  the  sea,  the  remains  of 
six  Esquimaux  huts  were  discovered  ;  they  consist- 
ed of  rude  circles,  about  six  feet  in  diameter,  con- 
structed irregularly  of  stones  of  all  sizes  and  shapes, 
and  raised  to  the  height  of  two  feet  from  the 
ground :  they  were  paved  with  large  slabs  of  white 
schistose  sandstuiiu,  which  is  here  abundant ;  the 
moss  had  spread  over  this  floor,  and  appeared  to 
be  the  growth  of  three  or  four  years.  In  each  of 
the  huts,  on  one  side,  was  a  small  separate  com- 
partment forming  a  recess,  projecting  outward, 
which  had  probably  been  their  store-room  ;  and  at 
a  few  feet  from  one  of  the  huts  was  a  smaller  cir- 
cle of  stones,  which  had  composed  the  fireplace, 
the  mark  of  fire  being  still  perceptible  upon  them.  ^ 

The  day  was  fine  and  clear,  with  a  moderate 
wind  from  the  westward  till  four  P.M.,  when  it 
died  away,  and  was  shortly  after  succeeded  by  a 
breeze  from  the  southward,  with  a  fall  of  snow. 
We  now  travelled  due  south,  with  the  intention  of 
getting  sight  of  the  Table  Hills,  and  returning  by 
that  route  to  the  ships,  as  there  appeared  to  be  no- 
thing more  within  our  reach  of  sufficient  interest 
to  detain  us  any  longer  from  them.  At  eight  P.M., 
finding  that  the  people's  clothes  were  becoming  wet 
through  by  the  sleet  which  fell,  we  halted  and 
pitched  the  tents. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  14th  the  wind 
veered  to  the  westward,  and  the  weather  became 
gradually  more  clear  ;  we  therefore  continued  our 
journey  to  the  southward,  and  came  in  sight  of 
the  Table  Hills  bearing  S.E.  of  us,  and  at  eight 


^  m 


« 


in .  f 


'!  I. 


mm  I 

.41 


128 


VOYAGB  FOB  THE  DISCOVERY 


A.M.  pitched  the  tents  on  some  dry  ground  on 
the  bank  of  a  ravine.  We  moved  on  towards  the 
Table  Hills  at  five  P.M.,  and  crossed  several  ra- 
vines  without  much  water  in  them,  running  gener- 
ally to  the  northeastward.  A\  e  halted  between  thft 
Table  Hills  at  ten  o'clock,  having  travelled  eight 
miles  over  very  swampy  ground,  and  with  the  snow 
up  to  our  knees  in  some  of  the  hollows. 

As  soon  as  the  observations  were  completed,  we 
fiet  off  for  Winter  Harbour,  and  having  passed  over 
much  rich  and  wet  ground,  abounding  with  sorrel, 
which  now  began  to  put  forth  its  leaves  with  more 
vigour,  arrived  on  board  at  seven  P.M.,  having 
been  met,  and  welcomed  most  heartily,  by  almost 
every  officer  and  man  belonging  to  the  ships ;  and  it 
was  no  small  satisfaction  to  me  to  hear  it  remark- 
ed, that  the  whole  of  our  travelling  party  appeared 
in  more  robust  health  than  when  we  left  them. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Occurrences  at  Winter  Harbour  in  the  early  part  of  June.— 
Gradual  Dissolution  of  the  Ice  upon  the  Sea  and  of  the  Snow 
upon  the  Land. — Decease  and  Burial  of  William  Scott.— 
Equipment  of  the  Ships  completed. — Temperate  Weather  du- 
ring the  Month  of  July. — Breaiiing  up  of  the  Ice  near  the 
Ships. — Move  to  the  lower  part  of  the  Harbour. — Separation 
of  the  Ice  at  the  Entrance.— Prepare  to  Sail.— Abstract  of 
Observations  made  in  Winter  Harbour.  t 

I  HAD  the  happiness  to  find,  on  my  return,  that 
the  officers  and  men  in  boih  ships  continued  to  en- 
joy the  same  good  health  as  before,  with  the  ex* 


Blllil.. 


OF   A   NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


129 


me.— 
Snow 
ott. — 
erdu- 

r  the 
ration 

ct  of 


that 
en- 


f 


ception  of  Scott,  who  was  still  the  only  man  in  the 
Hecla's  sick-list,  and  whose  complaint  seemed  such 
as  to  baffle  every  attempt  that  had  been  made  to 
produce  an  amendment.  A  constant  disposition 
to  fainting  and  a  languid  sort  of  despondency  had 
been,  for  some  time  past,  the  only  symptoms  which 
had  induced  Mr.  Edwards  to  continue  the  anti- 
scorbutic treatment ;  and  this  it  was  sometimes 
absolutely  necessary  to  discontinue  for  a  day  or 
two  together,  on  account  of  the  weak  state  of  his 
bowels.  During  my  absence  he  had  been  much 
worse  than  before,  notwithstanding  the  greatest 
care  and  attention  paid  to  him ;  but  he  was  now 
once  more  better.  He  had  lived  almost  entirely 
on  the  ptarmigan  and  ducks,  of  which  a  sufficient 
quantity  had  been  procured  to  serve  the  sick  and 
convalescent  in  both  ships  abundantly,  and  none 
had  at  this  time  been  issued  to  any  officer  or  man 
in  the  expedition. 

The  equipment  of  the  ships  had  gone  on  satis- 
factorily during  my  absence,  the  Griper  being  near- 
ly ready  for  sea,  the  Hecla  not  quite  so  forward, 
on  account  of  the  heavy  work  with  the  ballast,  of 
which  sixty-five  tons  had  been  brought  on  board, 
to  supply  the  deficiency  of  weight  in  her  holds. 
The  survey  of  the  provisions,  fuel,  and  other  stores 
was  completed,  and  the  quantity  and  condition  of 
them,  with  the  exception  of  the  lemon-juice  and 
vinegar  before  mentioned,  were  found  to  be  satis- 
factory. With  respect  to  vermin,  I  may  here 
mention,  that  not  a  mouse,  or  rat,  or  maggot  of  any 
kind  ever  appeared  on  board,  to  my  knowledge, 
during  this  voyage. 

A  very  perceptible  change  had  taken  place  in  the 


i^ 


'». 


!•»'    I. 


-! 


I 


■(•if      |! 


.■ii;i: 


13a 


VOYAGE   FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


ift) 


II;!'''! 


ice  of  the  harbour  on  its  upper  surface,  it  being 
covered  with  innumerable  pools  of  water,  chieiiy 
brackish,  except  close  in-shore,  where  the  tides  had 
lifted  the  ice  considerably  above  the  level  of  the 
sea. 

Having  observed  that  the  sorrel  was  now  so  far 
advanced  in  foliage  as  to  be  easily  gathered  in  suf- 
ficient quantity  for  eating,  I  gave  orders  that  two 
afternoons  in  each  week  should  be  occupied  by  all 
hands  in  collecting  the  leaves  of  this  plant ;  each 
man  being  required  to  bring  in,  for  the  present, 
one  ounce,  to  be  served  in  lieu  of  lemon-juice,  pick- 
les, and  dried  herbs,  which  had  been  hitherto  is- 
sued. The  growth  of  the  sorrel  was  from  thia 
time  so  quick,  and  the  quantity  of  it  so  great  on 
every  part  of  the  ground  about  the  harbour,  thai 
we  shortly  after  sent  the  men  out  every  afternoon 
for  an  hour  or  two  ;  in  which  time,  besides  the  ad- 
vantage of  a  healthy  walk,  they  could,  without  diffi- 
culty, pick  nearly  a  pound  each  of  this  valuable 
antiscorbutic,  of  which  they  were  all  extremely 
fond.  Of  the  good  effects  produced  upon  our 
health  by  the  unlimited  use  of  fresh  vegetable  sub- 
stances, thus  bountifully  supplied  by  the  hand  ol 
Nature,  even  where  least  to  be  expected,  little  doubt 
can  be  entertained,  as  it  is  well  known  to  be  a  nev- 
er-failing specific  for  scorbutic  affections,  to  which 
all  persons  deprived  of  it  for  a  length  of  time  are 
probably  more  or  less  predisposed.  ^ 

By  the  20th  of  June,  the  land  in  the  immediate 
neighbourhood  of  the  ships,  and  especially  in  low 
and  sheltered  situations,  was  much  covered  with 
the  handsome  purple  flower  of  the  saxifraga  oppo* 
eitifoUat  which  was  at  this  time  in  great  perfection. 


I 
& 

\ 

0 

e 
f 

11 

t] 
n 
t( 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE, 


131 


being 

jhiefly 
3S  had 
of  the 

so  far 
in  suf- 
at  two 
by  all 
;  each 
resent, 
!,  pick- 
ii'to  is- 
m  this 
eat  on 
ir,  thai 
ernoon 
the  ad- 
it diffi- 
iluable 
emely 
n   our 
J  sub- 
nd  oi 
doubt 
la  nev- 
I  which 
le  are 

ediate 

low 

with 

oppo» 

ctioni 


n 


and  gave  something  like  cheerfulness  and  anima* 
tion  to  a  scene  hitherto  indescribably  dreary  in  its 
appearance. 

The  suddenness  with  which  the  changes  take 
place  during  the  short  season  which  may  be  called 
summer  in  this  climate,  must  appear  very  striking 
when  it  is  remembered  that,  for  a  part  of  the  first 
week  in  June,  we  were  under  the  necessity  of  thaw- 
ing artificially  the  snow  which  we  made  use  of  for 
water  during  the  early  part  of  our  journey  to  the 
northward ;  that,  during  the  second  week,  the 
ground  was  in  most  parts  so  wet  and  swampy  that 
we  could  with  difficulty  travel ;  and  that,  had  we 
not  returned  before  the  end  of  the  third  week,  we 
should  probably  have  been  prevented  doing  so  for 
some  time,  by  the  impossibility  of  crossing  the  ra- 
vines without  great  danger  of  being  carried  away 
by  the  torrents,  an  accident  that  happened  to  our 
hunting  parties  on  one  or  two  occasions  in  endeav- 
ouring to  return  with  their  game  to  the  ships. 

On  the  22d,  at  four  P.M.,  a  thermometer,  in  the 
shade  on  board  the  Hecla,  stood  at  51°,  being  the 
highest  temperature  we  had  yet  registered  this  sea- 
son. 

On  the  24th  we  had  frequent  showers  of  snow, 
which  occur  in  this  climate  more  or  less  at  all  times 
of  the  year ;  at  this  season,  however,  when  the 
earth  is  warm,  it  seldom  or  never  lies  on  the  ground 
for  a  whole  day  together. 

Lieutenant  Beechey,  on  his  return  from  a  hunt- 
ing excursion  at  midnight  on  the  26th,  reported  that 
the  ice  along  shore  in  that  direction  appeared  in  a 
more  forward  state  of  dissolution  than  near  Win- 
ter Harbour,  there  being  almost  water  enough  in 


8 


r 


I 


4' 

,4  i' 

...  , 

J  ' 
■I 


9 


V 


I  ■'If 


132 


VOYAGE   FOR   THE   DISCOVEEY 


some  places  to  allow  a  boat  to  pass,  with  several 
large  cracks  in  the  ice  extending  from  the  land  some 
distance  to  seaward.  The  deer  had  now  become 
much  more  wild  near  the  tents,  and  it  was  therefore 
necessary  to  shift  the  ground  a  little.  Lieutenant 
Beechey  succeeded  in  killing  one  of  these  animals, 
by  lying  down  quietly,  and  imitating  the  voice  of  a 
fawn,  when  the  deer  immediately  came  up  to  him 
within  gunshot.  The  horns  of  the  deer  killed  at 
this  season,  as  Mr.  Fisher  remarks,  were  "  covered 
with  a  soft  skin  having  a  downy  pile  or  hair  upon 
it ;  the  horns  themselves  were  soft,  and  at  the  tips 
flexible  and  easily  broken."  The  foxes,  of  which 
they  saw  several,  "  had  a  black  spot  or  patch  ,on 
each  side  of  the  hind-quarters  or  hams." 

On  the  29th,  one  of  the  men,  in  returning  on 
board  from  the  daily  occupation  of  gathering  sor- 
rel, found  in  a  hole  upon  the  ice  a  small  fish,  which 
appeared  to  be  of  the  whiting  species ;  and,  on  going 
to  examine  the  place  where  it  was  picked  up,  Mr. 
Edwards  and  myself  found  two  others  exactly  sim- 
ilar. As  there  was  as  yet  no  communication  be- 
tween the  sea  and  the  upper  surface  of  the  ice  suf- 
ficiently large  to  admit  these  lish,  it  became  a  mat- 
ter of  question  in  what  manner  they  had  got  into 
the  situation  in  which  we  found  them.  It  appear- 
ed most  Ukely  that  they  were  frozen  on  the  surface 
of  the  water  at  the  beginning  of  winter,  when  the 
frost  first  commenced,  and  perhaps,  therefore,  had 
been  floating  there  dead.  We  remarked  that, 
whenever  any  hard  substance  is  laid  upon  the  ice 
in  small  quantities,  it  soon  makes  a  deep  hole  for 
itself,  by  the  heat  it  absorbs  and  radiates,  by  which 
the  ice  around  it  is  melted.     There  were  at  this 


several 
nd  some 

become 
he  re  fore 
eutenant 
animals, 
ice  of  a 
►  to  him 
tilled  at 
covered 
lir  upon 
the  tips 
f  which 
atch  fin 

ling  on 
ng  sor- 
I,  which 
n  going 
jp,  Mr. 
:ly  sim- 
ion  be- 
ice  suf- 
a  mat- 
jot  into 
ippear- 
surfaco 
icn  the 
re,  had 
i   that, 
the  ico 
ole  for 
which 
at  this 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


r^^zoT^  f»'-  Of  this  ,.„, 

ter ;  and  in  every  one  of  thp  '        f  ^^'  °^  '^a. 
some  extraneous  subsLncesli.'""'  '^'='^P''°°' 
and  not  unfrequently  rnumL,^'r^^^«''.  «^'°d 
shnmps  were  found/  In  one  „f  t  '"^."   P"'"d 
fish  alluded  to  were  found      It  S  ^^^^  ^°^^^  the 
how  directly  contrary  was  the  eVr?  """T"^  '^  «eo 
the  .ce  by  a  quantity  of  straw  wh    T^^'''^^^  "P°« 
upon  It  in  the  early  part  of  Vv'''^  ^T^  P"'  "-^t 
preventing  the  access  rfUtaS^;  ^'^  ^hich,  by 
raised  above  the  generalsrr!  '    "''  "°^  ''eeome 
feet;  affording  a  sio„7p;a;tS  '"'"•«  f^an  two 
principle  on  which  strfw^is  S  ^""""P'^  "^  the 
houses,  and,  what  was  at  tha,  r  ^  T^  °^  '»  ice- 
tance  to  us,  a  proof  Lw  ScWh  °^  ""^^  ''"P"'- 

oftheicehadbieninsenl?vw„     !  ."^P""  '"'"'^ee 
Lieutenant  Hoppner  ,?Z!f '^''  hy  dissolution, 
♦he  29th  from  his  hunUr/v      °"  '^^  ^'^ening  of 
west,  bringing  with  Wm?  ''"'^"''^'on  to  the  south 
to  us  mucf  m^orTacc  rbT^^^^^^^  «"^'  '^hat  was" 
fon  that  the  ice  had  been  obsli!  Z^""""^  '"f°™a- 
offing  on  the  22d.     Thrc.>cu„lf  '"  """'O"  '«  the 
served  by  Messrs.  Skene  and7 1"'"  ^^  '''•«'  <">- 
Lieutenant Hoppner'sDBr.v./r^''°  "-ere  of 
ed  by  a  loud  grfn'^ling  nSfse^;^!"'''"  T'  «^^ken. 
the  satisfaction  to  find  wa^' n        '  "".""^y  ^""^  soon 
field.ice  setting  rapidt  to  th      '"'"'''  ^^'"'c  heavy 
tance  of  five  miles^  f^^  ,ht  li^'T"'^'  ^'  '^e  dis^ 
ft  the  rate  of  a  mile  ar?  hour      T.""'  ■''Pr'-^""y 
this  time  moderate,  but  on  the  nv      ^i*:  '^'"''  ^"s  at 
Wown  a  fresh  northerly  gale    ^''^^'^'"S  day  it  had 

Vol.  I._m  "  ^^^  ^^^"'"8  "f  thIsQth  he 


f; 

i 
«'  ii 

ell    f 
I** 

^: 

Ht        I  f: 

4   .    .    \ 


J 


dl 


iH 


134 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE   DISCOVERY 


was  SO  far  exhausted  that  Mr.  Edwards  did  not  ex- 
pect him  to  survive  through  the  night.  At  two 
A.M.  on  the  30th  I  was  informed  by  that  gentle- 
man that  Scott  was  dying  ;  and,  before  I  could  get 
my  clothes  on,  he  had  breathed  his  last,  without 
any  apparent  pain. 

On  Sunday,  the  2d  of  July,  after  divine  service 
had  been  performed,  the  body  of  the  deceased  was 
committed  to  the  earth,  on  a  level  piece  of  ground 
about  a  hundred  yards  from  the  beach,  v/ith  every 
solemnity  which  the  occasion  demanded,  and  the 
circumstances  of  our  situation  would  permit.  The 
ensigns  and  pendants  were  lowered  half-mast  du- 
ring the  procession,  and  the  remains  of  our  unfor- 
tunate shipmate  were  attended  to  the  grave  by  ev- 
ery officer  and  man  in  both  ships.  A  neat  tomb- 
stpne  was  afterward  placed  at  the  head  of  the  grave 
by  Mr.  Fisher,  who  carved  upon  it  the  name  of  the 
deceased,  with  the  other  usual  information. 

The  dissolution  of  the  ice  of  the  harbour  went 
on  so  rapidly  in  the  early  part  of  July,  that  we  were 
greatly  surprised,  on  the  6th,  in  finding  that,  in 
several  of  the  pools  of  water  on  its  upper  surface, 
holes  were  washed  quite  through  to  the  sea  be- 
neath. On  examining  several  of  these,  we  found 
that  the  average  thickness  of  the  ice  in  the  upper 
part  of  the  harbour,  where  the  ships  were  lying, 
did  not  exceed  two  feet,  which  was  much  less  than 
we  had  any  idea  of.  Towards  the  mouth  of  the 
harbour,  however,  where  the  water  was  deeper,  no 
such  holes  made  their  appearance  for  some  days 
after  this.  It  must  here  be  remarked,  that  in  all 
cases  we  found  the  ice  to  be  first  thawed  and  bro- 
ken up  in  the  shoalest  water,  in  consequence,  I 


hf 


ir.  ! 


OF   A   NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


135 


suppose,  of  the  greater  facility  with  which  the 
ground,  at  a  small  depth  below  the  surface  of  the 
sea,  absorbed  and  radiated  the  heat  of  the  sun's 
rays ;  and  as  it  is  in  such  situations  that  water 
generally  freezes  the  first,  this  circunnstance  seems 
a  remarkable  instance  of  the  provision  of  nature 
for  maintaining  such  a  balance  in  the  quantity  of 
ice  annually  formed  and  dissolved,  as  shall  prevent 
any  undue  or  extraordinary  accumulation  of  it  in 
any  part  of  the  Polar  regions  of  the  earth. 

On  unhanging  the  rudders,  and  hauling  them  up 
on  the  ice  for  examination,  we  found  them  a  good 
deal  shaken  and  grazed  by  the  blows  they  had  re- 
ceived during  the  time  the  ships  were  beset  at  the 
entrance  of  Davis's  Strait.  We  found,  also,  that 
the  rudder-cases  in  both  ships  had  been  fitted  too 
small,  occasioning  considerable  difliiculty  in  getting 
the  rudders  down  when  working,  a  circumstance 
by  no  means  disadvantageous  (perhaps,  indeed, 
rather  the  contrary)  on  ordinary  service  at  sea, 
but  which  should  be  carefully  avoided  in  ships  in- 
tended for  the  navigation  among  ice,  as  it  is  fre- 
quently necessary  to  unship  the  rudder  at  a  short 
notice,  in  order  to  preserve  it  from  injury,  as  our 
future  experience  was  soon  to  teach  us.  This  fault 
was,  however,  soon  remedied,  and  the  rudders  again 
hung  in  readiness  for  sea. 

On  the  14th  a  boat  passed,  for  the  first  time, 
between  the  ships  and  the  shore,  in  consequence 
of  the  junction  of  a  number  of  the  pools  and  holes 
in  the  ice  ;  and  on  the  following  day  the  same  kind 
of  communication  was  practicable  between  the 
ships.  It  now  became  necessary,  therefore,  to 
provide  against  the  possibility  of  the  ships  being 


I 


? 


.  I 


.'I  I 
4^ 


;> 


I 


'  1 

1 

Jtii 

136 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


forced  on  shore  by  the  total  disruption  of  the  ice 
between  them  and  the  beach,  and  the  pressure  of 
that  without,  by  letting  go  a  bower-anchor  under- 
foot, which  was  accordingly  done  as  soon  as  there 
was  a  hole  in  the  ice  under  the  bows  of  each  suffi- 
ciently large  to  allow  the  anchors  to  pass  through. 
We  had  now  been  quite  ready  for  sea  for  some 
days ;  and  a  regular  and  anxious  look-out  was 
kept  from  the  crow's-nest  for  any  alteration  in  the 
state  of  the  ice  which  might  favour  our  departure 
from  Winter  Harbour,  in  which  it  now  became 
more  than  probable  that  we  were  destined  to  be 
detained  thus  inactively  for  a  part  of  each  month 
in  the  whole  year,  as  we  had  reached  it  in  the  lat- 
ter part  of  September,  and  were  likely  to  be  pre- 
vented leaving  it  till  after  the  commencement  of 
August. 

From  six  A.M.  till  six  P.M.  on  the  17th,  the 
thermometer  stood  generally  from  55°  to  60°  ;  the 
latter  temperature  being  the  highest  which  appears 
in  the  Hecla's  Meteorological  Journal  during  this 
summer.  It  will  readily  be  conceived  how  pleas- 
ant such  a  temperature  must  have  been  to  our  feel- 
ings after  the  severe  winter  which  immediately 
preceded  it.  The  month  of  July  is,  indeed,  the 
only  one  which  can  be  called  at  all  comfortable  in 
the  climate  of  Melville  Island. 

On  the  20th,  there  being  a  strong  breeze  from 
the  N.N.E.,  with  fog  and  rain,  all  favourable  to 
the  dispersion  of  the  ice,  that  part  of  it  which  was 
immediately  around  the  Hecla,  and  from  which  she 
had  been  artificially  detached  so  long  before,  at 
length  separated  into  pieces  and  floated  away,  car- 
rying with  it  the  collection  of  ashes  and  other  rub* 


OF   A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


137 


rom 
to 
'as 

I  she 
at 

;ar- 

lub. 


bish  which  had  been  accumulating  for  the  last  ten 
months  :  so  that  the  ship  was  now  once  more  fairly- 
riding  at  anchor,  but  with  the  ice  still  occupying 
the  whole  of  the  centre  of  the  harbour,  and  within 
a  few  yards  of  her  bows  :  the  Griper  had  been  set 
free  in  a  similar  manner  a  few  days  before.  But 
it  was  only  in  that  part  of  the  harbour  where  the 
ships  were  lying  that  the  ice  had  yet  separated  in 
this  manner  at  so  great  a  distance  from  the  shore  ; 
a  circumstance  probably  occasioned  by  the  greater 
radiation  of  heat  from  the  ships,  and  from  the  ma- 
terials of  various  kinds  which  we  had  occasion  to 
deposite  upon  the  ice  during  the  time  of  our  equip^. 
ment. 

Lieutenant  Liddon  accompanied  me  in  a  boat 
down  the  west  shore  of  the  harbour  to  the  south- 
ern point  of  the  entrance,  in  order  to  sound  along 
the  edge  of  the  ice,  where  we  found  from  seven  to 
fifteen  feet  water ;  the  ice  about  the  entrance  ap- 
peared still  very  solid  and  compact,  and  not  a  sin- 
gle hole  was  at  this  time  noticed  through  any  of 
the  pools  upon  its  surface  except  one,  which  was 
made  by  a  seal,  and  which  discovered  the  thickness 
of  the  ice  to  be  there  between  two  and  three  feet. 

There  war  a  fresh  breeze  from  the  northeast- 
ward, with  fine  clear  weather,  on  the  22d,  which 
made  the  Hecla  swing  round  into  twenty  feet  water 
astern ;  and  the  ice,  being  now  moveable  in  the 
harbour,  came  home  towards  the  shore  with  this 
wind,  but  not  so  much  as  to  put  any  considerable 
strain  on  the  cable  of  either  ship  ;  and  the  holding, 
ground  being  excellent,  there  was  nothing  to  ap. 
prebend  for  their  security. 

A  fresh  gale,  which  blew  from  the  northward 

M2 


4  I 


',  1 


I' 


K  H 


138 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


a 


on  the  morning  of  the  23d,  caused  a  great  altera- 
tion in  the  appearance  of  the  ice  near  the  ships, 
but  none  whatever  in  that  in  the  offing  or  at  the 
mouth  of  the  harbour,  except  that  the  shores  were 
there  more  encumbered  than  before,  owing  to  the 
quantity  of  pieces  which  were  separated  and  driv- 
en down  from  the  northward,  so  that  our  small 
boat  could  not  succeed  in  getting  along  the  shore. 

On  the  24th  the  sails  were  bent,  in  readiness  for 
starting  at  a  moment's  notice,  though  it  must  be 
confessed  that  the  motive  for  doing  so  was  to  make 
some  show  of  moving  rather  than  any  expectation 
which  I  dared  to  entertain  of  soon  escaping  from 
our  long  and  tedious  confinement ;  for  it  was  im- 
possible to  conceal  from  the  men  the  painful  fact 
that,  in  eight  or  nine  weeks  from  this  period,  the 
navigable  season  must  unavoidably  come  to  a  con- 
clusion. 

I  went  away  in  a  boat  early  on  the  morning  of 
the  25th,  in  order  to  sound  the  harbour  in  those 
parts  where  the  ice  would  admit  the  boat,  with  a 
view  to  take  advantage  of  the  first  favourable 
change  which  might  present  itself.  The  wind 
having  come  round  to  the  southward  in  the  after- 
noon, caused  the  separation  of  a  large  portion  of 
ice  on  the  northern  side  of  that  which  now  occu- 
pied the  harbour,  and  the  detached  pieces  drifting 
down  towards  us,  rendered  it  necessary  to  be  on 
our  guard,  lest  the  ships  should  be  forced  from 
their  anchorage.  On  this  account,  as  well  as  from 
an  anxious  and  impatient  desire  to  make  a  move, 
however  trifling,  from  a  spot  in  which  we  had  now 
unwillingly,  but  unavoidably,  passed  nearly  ten 
months,  and  of  which  we  had  long  been  heartily 


:l1 

il:.      I 


OF  A  NOETHWEST  PASSAGE. 


139 


'ind 
ter- 
n  of 
iccu- 
'ting 
on 
rom 
rom 
ove, 
■now 
ten 
tily 


tired,  I  directed  lines  to  be  run  out  for  the  purpose 
of  warping  the  ships  along  the  ice  in  the  centre  of 
the  harbour,  and  at  half  past  two  P.M.  the  an- 
chors were  weighed.  As  soon  as  a  strain  was  put 
upon  the  lines,  however,  we  found  that  the  ice  to 
which  they  were  attached  came  home  upon  us,  in- 
stead of  the  ships  being  drawn  out  to  the  south- 
ward ;  and  we  were  therefore  obliged  to  have 
recourse  to  the  kedge-anchors,  which  we  could 
scarcely  find  room  to  drop  on  account  of  the  close- 
ness of  the  ice.  Having  warped  a  little  way  out 
from  the  shore,  into  five  fathoms  and  a  half,  it  was 
found  impossible  to  proceed  any  farther  without  a 
change  of  wind,  and  the  anchors  were  therefore 
dropped  till  such  a  change  should  take  place.  In 
the  course  of  the  evening  all  the  loose  ice  drifted 
past  us  to  the  northward,  loading  that  shore  of  the 
harbour  with  innumerable  fragments  of  it,  and  leav- 
ing a  considerable  space  of  clear  water  along  shore 
to  the  southward. 

On  the  morning  of  the  26th  it  was  nearly  calm, 
with  continued  rain  and  thick  weather ;  and  there 
being  now  a  space  of  clear  water  for  nearly  three 
quarters  of  a  mile  to  the  southward  of  us,  we  took 
advantage  of  a  breeze  which  sprung  up  from  the 
northward  to  weigh,  at  nine  A.M.,  and  run  down 
as  far  as  the  ice  would  permit,  and  then  dropped 
our  anchors  in  the  best  berths  we  could  select,  close 
to  the  edge  of  it,  with  the  intention  of  advancing 
step  by  step,  as  it  continued  to  separate  by  piece- 
meal. The  ice  across  the  entrance  of  the  harbour 
as  far  as  this  spot,  and  the  whole  of  that  in  the  of- 
fing, of  which  we  had  here  a  commanding  view  from 
the  Hecla's  crow's-nest,  was  still  quite  continuous 


I- 


I 
1 


'.  1 

4       , 


it 

it 


M 


riT" 


140 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


and  unbroken,  with  the  same  appearance  of  solidity 
as  it  had  during  the  middle  of  winter,  except  that 
the  pools  of  water  were  numerous  upon  its  surface. 
The  wind  being  from  the  S.S.W,  during  the 
night  of  the  30th,  served  to  close  the  lane  of  water 
which  had  appeared  in  the  offing  the  preceding  day, 
which  we  considered  a  favourable  circumstance,  as 
showing  that  the  external  mass  of  ice  was  in  mo- 
tion. In  the  course  of  the  day,  the  wind  shifting 
to  the  W.N.W.,  we  once  more  discovered  a  small 
opening  between  the  old  and  young  floes,  and  at 
eleven  P.M.,  the  whole  body  of  th€  ice  in  the  har- 
bour was  perceived  to  be  moving  slowly  out  to  the 
southeastward,  breaking  away,  for  the  first  time,  at 
the  points  which  form  the  entrance  of  the  harbour. 
This  sudden  and  unexpected  change  rendering  it 
probable  that  we  should  at  length  be  released,  I  sent 
to  Captain  Sabine,  who  had  been  desirous  of  con- 
tinuing his  observations  on  the  pendulum  to  the  last 
moment,  to  request  that  he  would  have  the  clocks 
ready  for  embarcation  at  an  early  hour  in  the  morn- 
ing. 


■4V 


.*• 


'm. 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


141 


CHAPTER  X. 

liCave  Winter  Harbour. — Flattering  Appearance  of  the  Sea  to 
the  Westward. — Stopped  by  the  Ice  near  Cape  Hay. — Farther 
Progress  to  the  Longitude  of  113o  48'  22.5'^  being  the  West- 
ernmost Meridian  hitherto  reached  in  the  Polar  Sea,  to  the 
North  of  America. — Banks's  Land  discovered. — Increased  Ex- 
tent and  Dimensions  of  the  Ice.— Return  to  the  Eastward,  to 
endeavour  to  penetrate  the  Ice  to  the  Southward. — Re-enter 
Barrow's  Strait,  and  Survey  its  South  Coast. — Pass  through 
Sir  James  Lancaster's  Sound  on  our  Return  to  England. 

The  wind  still  blowing  fresh  from  the  northward 
and  westward,  the  ice  continued  to  drift  out  slowly 
from  the  harbour,  till,  at  eight  A.M.,  August  1st, 
it  had  left  the  whole  space  between  the  ships  and 
Cape  Hearne  completely  clear,  and  at  eleven  o'clock 
there  appeared  to  be  water  round  the  hummocks 
of  ice  which  lie  aground  off  that  point.  In  the 
mean  time,  our  boats  were  employed  in  embarking 
the  clocks,  tents,  and  observatory,  while  I  sounded 
the  entrance  of  the  harbour  in  order  to  complete 
the  survey,  which  no  opportunity  had  offered  of  do- 
ing before  this  time.  At  one  P.M.,  having  got  ev- 
erything on  board,  and  the  ice  appearing  to  be  still 
leaving  the  shore,  we  weighed,  and  ran  out  of  Win- 
ter Harbour,  in  which  we  had  actually,  as  had  been 
predicted,  passed  ten  whole  months,  and  a  part  of 
the  two  remaining  ones,  September  and  August. 

In  running  along  shore  towards  Cape  Hearne, 
generally  at  the  distance  of  half  a  mile  from  the 
land,  we  had  from  ten  to  sixteen  fathoms'  water. 


A 


r 


13   It   ■ 

11  i-n 


t '   ■ 


142 


VOYAGE   FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


li       ' 


yii. 


I      I 


|i      ! 


av 


and  rounded  the  hummocks  off  the  point  in  six  and 
a  half  fathoms  by  three  P.M.  As  we  opened  the 
point,  it  was  pleasing  to  see  that  the  coast  to  the 
westward  of  it  was  more  clear  of  ice  (excepting 
the  loose  pieces  which  lay  scattered  about  in  every 
direction,  but  which  would  not  very  materially  have 
impeded  the  navigation  with  a  fair  wind)  than  it 
had  been  when  we  first  arrived  off  it,  a  month  later 
in  the  foregoing  year ;  the  main  ice  having  been 
blown  off  by  the  late  westerly  and  northwesterly 
winds  to  the  distance  of  four  or  five  miles  from  the 
shore,  which,  from  all  we  have  seen  on  this  part  of 
the  coast,  appears  to  be  its  utmost  limit.  The 
navigable  channel,  with  a  beating  wind  between  the 
ice  and  the  land,  was  here  from  one  to  two,  or  two 
miles  and  a  half  in  width ;  and  this  seemed,  from 
the  masthead,  to  continue  as  far  as  the  eye  could 
reach  along  shore  to  the  westward. 

We  found  the  wind  much  more  westerly  after  we 
rounded  the  point,  which  made  our  progress  slow 
and  tedious  ;  the  more  so,  as  we  had  every  minute 
to  luff  for  one  piece  of  ice  and  to  bear  up  for  an- 
other, by  which  much  ground  was  unavoidably  lost. 
After  a  very  few  tacks,  we  had  the  mortification 
to  perceive  that  the  Griper  sailed  and  worked  much 
worse  than  before,  notwithstanding  every  endeavour 
which  Lieutenant  Liddon  had  been  anxiously  ma- 
king, during  her  re-equipment,  to  improve  those 
qualities  in  which  she  had  been  found  deficient. 
She  missed  stays  several  times  in  the  course  of  the 
evening,  with  smooth  water  and  a  fine  working 
breeze,  and  by  midnight  the  Hecla  had  gained 
eight  miles  to  windward  of  her,  which  obliged  me 
to  heave  tOi  notwithstanding  the  increased  width  of 


OF  A   NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


143 


six  and 
ned  the 
t  to  the 
cepting 
n  every 
ly  have 
than  it 
th  later 
g  been 
westerly 
om  the 
part  of 
.     The 
2en  the 
or  two 
i,  from 
5  could 

fter  we 
ts  slow 
ninute 
or  an- 
y  lost, 
cation 
much 
avour 

ma- 
those 
cient. 
)f  the 
rking 
ained 

me 
thof 


r 


( 


the  navigable  channel,  the  weather  having  become 
hazy,  so  as  to  endanger  our  parting  company. 

Soon  after  noon  on  the  2d,  a  breeze  sprung  up 
from  the  S.S.W.,  which,  being  rather  upon  the 
shore,  made  it  likely  that  the  ice  would  soon  begin 
to  close  it ;  we  therefore  began  to  look  out  for  a 
situation  where  the  ships  might  be  secured  in- 
shore, behind  some  of  the  heavy  grounded  ice 
which  had  so  often  before  afforded  us  shelter  un- 
der similar  circumstances.  At  one  o'clock  we 
perceived  that  a  heavy  floe  had  already  closed 
completely  in  with  the  land,  at  a  point  a  little  to 
the  westward  of  us,  preventing  all  hope  of  farther 
progress  for  the  present  in  that  direction.  A  boat 
was  therefore  sent  to  examine  the  ice  in-shore,  and 
a  favourable  place  having  been  found  for  our  pur- 
pose, the  ships  were  hauled  in  and  secured  there, 
the  Griper's  bow  resting  on  the  beach,  in  order  to 
allow  the  Hecla  to  lie  in  security  without  her.  This 
place  was  so  completely  sheltered  from  the  iccess 
of  the  main  body  of  the  ice,  that  I  began  to  think 
seriously  of  taking  advantage  of  this  situation  to 
remove  the  Griper's  crew  on  board  the  Hecla,  in 
order  to  prosecute  the  voyage  in  the  latter  vessel 
singly,  and  had  consulted  the  officers  upon  the  sub- 
ject. The  circumstances,  however,  which  subse- 
quently occurred  rendering  such  a  measure  inex- 
pedient, because  no  longer  necessary  to  the  accom- 
plishment of  the  object  in  view,  by  which  alone  it 
could  be  justified,  I  was  induced  to  give  it  up, 
adopting  the  best  means  in  our  power  to  remedy 
the  evil  in  question. 

Shortly  after  our  anchoring  the  Griper's  people 
heard  the  growling  of  a  bear  among  the  ice  near 


1 


'  I 


r 


ft 
ii 


\  I 


;    I 


W'ii 


■r 


144 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


1 1 

n 


(•k. 


I  ; 


m4 


! 


i     i! 


them,  but  the  animal  did  not  appear  ;  and  this  was 
the  only  instance  of  our  meeting  with  a  bear  du- 
ring our  stay  at  Melville  Island,  except  that  which 
followed  one  of  our  men  to  the  ships  soon  after  our 
arrival  in  Winter  Harbour.  Both  crews  were 
sent  on  shore  to  pick  sorrel,  which  was  here  not 
less  abundant  than  at  our  old  quarters,  but  it  was 
now  almost  too  old  to  be  palatable,  having  nearly 
lost  its  acidity  and  juice. 

At  one  A.M.  on  the  4th,  the  loose  ice  was  ob- 
served to  be  drifting  in  upon  us,  the  wind  having 
veered  to  the  eastward  of  north ;  and  soon  after  a 
floe,  of  not  less  than  five  miles  in  length  and  a 
mile  and  a  half  across,  was  found  to  be  approach- 
ing the  shore  at  a  quick  rate.  The  ships  were  im- 
mediately hauled  as  near  the  shore  as  possible, 
and  preparation  made  for  unshipping  the  rudders, 
if  necessary.  The  floe  was  brought  up,  however, 
by  the  masses  of  ice  aground  outside  of  us,  with 
which  it  successively  came  in  contact,  and  the 
ships  remained  in  perfect  security;  the  floe^  as 
usual  after  the  first  violence  is  over,  moved  off 
again  to  a  little  distance  from  the  shore. 

At  noon  the  heavy  floe  at  the  point  near  us  be- 
gan to  quit  the  land,  and  at  half  past  one  P.M., 
there  being  a  narrow  passage  between  them,  the 
breadth  of  which  the  breeze  was  constantly  in- 
creasing, we  cast  off  and  stretched  to  the  west- 
ward. The  channel  which  opened  to  us  as  we 
proceeded  varied  in  its  general  breadth  from  one 
to  two  miles  ;  in  some  places  it  was  not  more  than 
half  a  mile.  The  wind  was  variable  and  squally, 
but  we  made  great  progress  along  the  land  to  the 
S.W.b.W.,  and  the  Griper,  by  keeping  up  tolera- 


^ 


IW?^ 


OP  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


145 


bly  with  the  Hecla,  in  some  measure  redeemed 
her  character  with  us.  Having  arrived  off  Cape 
Providence  at  eleven  P.M.,  the  wind  became  light 
and  baffling,  so  that  we  had  just  got  far  enough  to 
see  that  there  was  a  free  and  open  channel  beyond 
the  westernmost  point  visible  of  Melville  Island, 
when  our  progress  was  almost  entirely  stopped  for 
want  of  a  breeze  to  enable  us  to  take  advantage  of 
it.  The  anxiety  which  such  a  detention  occasions 
in  a  sea  where,  without  any  apparent  cause,  the 
ice  frequently  closes  the  shore  in  the  most  sudden 
manner,  can  perhaps  only  be  conceived  by  those 
who  have  experienced  it.  We  remarked,  in  sail- 
ing near  the  ice  this  evening,  while  the  wind  was 
blowing  a  fresh  breeze  off  the  land,  and  therefore 
directly  towards  the  ice,  that  it  remained  constant- 
ly calm  within  three  or  four  hundred  yards  of  the 
latter ;  this  effect  I  do  not  remember  to  have  ob- 
served before  upon  the  windward  side  of  any  col- 
lection of  ice,  though  it  invariably  happens,  in  a 
remarkable  degree,  to  leeward  of  it.  I  may  here 
mention,  as  a  striking  proof  of  the  accuracy  with 
which  astronomical  bearings  of  objects  may  be  ta- 
ken for  marine  surveys,  that  the  relative  bearing 
of  Capes  Providence  and  Hay,  as  obtained  this 
evening  when  the  two  headlands  were  opening, 
differed  only  one  minute  from  that  entered  in  the 
surveying.book,  and  found  in  the  same  manner  the 
preceding  year. 

At  one  P.M.  on  the  6th,  the  weather  continuing 
quite  calm,  and  being  desirous  of  examining  the  ice 
in-shore,  that  we  might  be  ready  for  the  floes  clo- 
sing upon  us,  I  left  the  ship,  accompanied  by  Cap- 
tain Sabine  and  Mr.  Edwards,  and  landed  near  one 

Vol.  I.— N 


'  W  I 


I       ^      \- 


H-¥ 


146 


VOYAGE   FOE  THE   DISCOVERT 


1 
It 


■] 


1; 

If  ■."> 


1  ii> 


of  the  numerous  deep  and  broad  ravines  with  which 
the  whole  of  this  part  of  the  island  is  indented, 
We  were  ascending  the  hill,  which  was  found  by 
trigonometrical  measurement  to  be  eight  hundred 
and  forty-seven  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and 
on  which  we  found  no  mineral  production  but 
sandstone  and  clay  iron-stone,  when  a  breeze 
sprung  up  from  the  eastward,  bringing  up  the  Gri- 
per, which  had  been  left  several  miles  astern.  We 
only  stopped,  therefore,  to  obtain  observations  for 
the  longitude  and  the  variation  of  the  magnetic 
needle;  the  former  of  which  was  112°  53^  32'', 
and  the  latter  110°  56'  11"  easterly,  and  then  im- 
mediately returned  on  board  and  made  all  sail  to 
the  westward.  Au  r  running  for  two  hours  with- 
out obstruction,  Wc  r  )  once  more  mortified  in 
perceiving  that  the  i.^.,  m  very  extensive  and  unu- 
sually heavy  floes,  closed  in  with  the  land  a  little 
to  the  westward  of  Cape  Hay,  and  our  channel  of 
clear  water  between  the  ice  and  the  land  gradually 
diminished  in  breadth,  till  at  length  it  became  ne- 
cessary to  take  in  the  studding  sails,  and  to  haul 
to  the  wind  to  look  about  us.  I  immediately  left 
the  ship,  and  went  in  a  boat  to  examine  the  ground, 
ed  ice  off  a  small  point  of  land,  such  as  always  oc- 
curs on  this  coast  at  the  outlet  of  each  ravine.  I 
found  that  this  point  offered  the  only  possible  shel- 
ter which  could  be  obtained  in  case  of  the  ice  com- 
ing  in;  and  1  therefore  determined  to  take  the 
Hecla  in-shore  immediately,  and  to  pick  out  the 
best  berth  which  circumstances  would  admit.  As 
I  was  returning  on  board  with  this  intention,  I  found 
that  the  ice  was  already  rapidly  approaching  the 
shore  ;  no  time  was  to  bo  lost,  therefore,  in  getting 


OP  A   NOKTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


147 


;om- 
the 
tho 
As 

•unci 
the 

ting 


h 


the  Hecla  to  her  intended  station,  which  was  effect- 
ed  by  half  past  eight  P.M.,  being  in  nine  to  seven 
fathoms  water,  at  the  distance  of  twenty  yards  from 
the  beach,  which  was  lined  all  round  the  point  with 
very  heavy  masses  of  ice  that  had  been  forced  by 
some  tremendous  pressure  into  the  ground.  Our 
situation  was  a  dangerous  one,  having  no  shelter 
from  ice  coming  from  the  westward,  the  whole  of 
which,  being  distant  from  us  less  than  half  a  mile, 
was  composed  of  floes  infinitely  more  heavy  than 
any  we  had  elsewhere  met  with  during  the  voyage. 
The  Griper  was  three  or  four  miles  astern  of  us 
at  the  time  when  the  ice  began  to  close,  and  I 
therefore  directed  Lieutenant  Liddon,  by  signal,  to 
secure  his  ship  in  the  best  manner  he  could,  with- 
out attempting  to  join  the  Hecla ;  he  accordingly 
made  her  fast  at  eleven  P.M.,  near  a  point  like 
that  at  which  we  were  lying,  and  two  or  three  miles 
to  the  eastward. 

On  the  whole  of  this  steep  coast,  wherever  we 
approached  the  shore,  we  found  a  thick  stratum  of 
blue  and  solid  ice,  firmly  imbedded  in  the  beach, 
at  the  depth  of  from  six  to  ten  feet  under  the  sur. 
face  of  the  water.  This  ice  has  probably  been  the 
lower  part  of  heavy  masses  forced  aground  by  the 
pressure  of  the  floes  from  without,  and  still  adhe- 
ring to  the  viscous  mud  of  which  the  beach  is  com- 
posed, after  the  upper  part  has,  in  course  of  time, 
dissolved.  From  the  tops  of  the  hills  in  this  part 
of  Melville  Island  a  continuous  line  of  this  subma- 
rine ice  could  be  distinctly  traced  for  miles  along 
the  coast. 

In  running  along  the  shore  this  evening  we  had 
noticed  near  the  sea  what  at  a  distance  bad  every 


9 


I 


':$ 


fti 


!' 


1 


■'I 


II 


i* 


•M   t 


r*, ' , 


I':! 


M 


1  ■ 


148 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


appearance  of  a  high  wall  artificially  built,  which 
was  the  resort  of  numerous  birds.  Captain  Sa- 
bine being  desirous  to  examine  it,  as  well  as  to 
procure  some  specimens  of  the  birds,  set  out,  as 
soon  as  we  anchored,  for  that  purpose.  The  wall 
proved  to  be  composed  of  sandstone  in  horizontal 
strata,  from  twenty  to  thirty  feet  in  height,  which 
had  been  left  standing,  so  as  to  exhibit  its  present 
artificial  appearance,  by  the  decomposition  of  the 
rock  and  earth  about  it.  Large  flocks  of  glaucous 
gulls  had  chosen  this  as  a  secure  retreat  from  the 
foxes,  and  every  other  enemy  but  man ;  and  when 
our  people  first  went  into  the  ravine  in  which  it 
stands,  they  were  so  fierce  in  defence  of  their 
young  that  it  was  scarcely  safe  to  approach  them 
till  a  few  shots  had  been  fired. 

On  the  morning  of  the  7th  a  black  whale  came 
up  close  to  the  Hecla,  being  the  first  we  had  seen 
since  the  22d  of  August  the  preceding  year,  about 
the  longitude  of  91J°  W. ;  it  therefore  acquired 
among  us  the  distinctive  appellation  of  the  whale. 
Since  leaving  Winter  Harbour  we  had  also,  on  two 
or  three  occasions,  seen  a  solitary  seal.  The  wind 
continued  fresh  from  the  east  and  E.N.E.  in  the 
morning,  and  the  loose  ice  came  close  in  upon  us, 
but  the  main  body  remained  stationary  at  the  dis- 
tance  of  nearly  half  a  mile. 

In  the  afternoon  a  man  from  each  mess  was 
sent  on  shore  to  pick  sorrel,  which  was  here  re- 
markably fine  and  large,  as  well  as  more  acid  than 
any  we  had  lately  met  with.  The  shelter  from  the 
northerly  winds  afforded  by  the  high  land  on  this 
part  of  the  coast,  together  with  its  southern  aspect, 
renders  the  vegetation  here  immediately  next  the 


I 


OF  A  IffORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


149 


'.  f 


sea  much  more  luxuriant  than  in  most  parts  of 
Melville  Island  which  we  visited,  and  a  considera- 
ble addition  was  made  to  our  collection  of  plants. 

The  easterly  breeze  died  away  in  the  course  of 
the  day,  and  at  three  P.M.  was  succeeded  by  a 
light  air  from  the  opposite  quarter ;  and  as  this 
freshened  up  a  little,  the  loose  ice  began  to  drift 
into  our  bight,  and  that  on  the  eastern  side  of  the 
point  to  drive  off.  It  became  expedient,  therefore, 
immediately  to  shift  the  ship  round  the  point,  where 
she  was  made  fast  in  four  fathoms  abaft  and  sev- 
enteen feet  forward,  close  alongside  the  usual  ledge 
of  submarine  ice,  which  touched  her  about  seven 
feet  under  water,  and  which,  having  few  of  the 
heavy  masses  aground  upon  it,  would  probably 
have  allowed  her  to  be  pushed  over  it  had  a  heavy 
pressure  occurred  from  without.  It  was  the  more 
necessary  to  moor  the  ship  in  some  such  situation, 
as  we  found  from  six  to  seven  fathoms  water  by 
dropping  the  hand-lead  down  close  to  her  bow  and 
quarter  on  the  outer  side. 

Several  heavy  pieces  of  floes  drove  close  past  us, 
not  less  than  ten  or  fifteen  feet  in  thickness,  but 
they  were  fortunately  stopped  by  a  point  of  land 
without  coming  in  upon  us.  At  eleven  o'clock, 
however,  a  mass  of  this  kind,  being  about  half  an 
acre  in  extent,  drove  in,  and  gave  the  ship  a  con- 
siderable "  nip"  between  it  and  the  land  ice,  and 
then  grazed  past  her  to  the  westward.  I  now  di- 
rected the  rudder  to  be  unhung,  and  the  ship  to  be 
swung  with  her  head  to  the  eastward,  so  that  the 
bow,  being  the  strongest  part,  might  receive  the 
first  and  heaviest  pressure. 

The  ice  did  not  disturb  us  again  till  five  A.Mt 

N3 


i 

) 

■ 

;1 

l;f 

xi^: 

V' 

(Jl 

;! 


> 


150 


VOYAGE  FOE  THE  DISCOVERY 


on  the  8th,  when  another  floe-piece  came  in  and 
gave  the  ship  a  heavy  rub,  and  then  went  past,  af- 
ter which  it  continued  slack  about  us  for  several 
hours.  Everything  was  so  quiet  at  nine  o'clock 
as  to  induce  me  to  venture  up  the  hill  abreast  of 
us,  in  order  to  have  a  view  of  the  newly-discover- 
ed land  to  the  southwest,  which,  indeed,  I  had  seen 
indistinctly  and  much  refracted  from  the  Hecla's 
deck  in  the  morning.  This  land,  which  extends 
beyond  the  117th  degree  of  west  longitude,  and  is 
the  most  western  yet  discovered  in  the  Polar  Sea 
to  the  northward  of  the  American  Continent,  was 
honoured  with  the  name  of  Banks's  Land,  out  of 
respect  to  the  late  venerable  and  worthy  president 
of  the  Royal  Society. 

On  the  morning  of  the  9th  a  musk-ox  came 
down  to  graze  on  the  beach  near  the  ships.  A 
party  was  despatched  in  pursuit,  and,  having  hem- 
med him  in  under  the  hill,  which  was  too  steep  for 
him  to  ascend,  succeeded  in  killing  him.  When 
first  brought  on  board,  the  inside  of  this  animal, 
which  was  a  male,  smelled  very  strong  of  musk, 
of  which  the  whole  of  the  meat  also  tasted  more 
or  less,  and  especially  the  heart.  It  furnished  us 
with  four  hundred  and  twenty-one  pounds  of  beef, 
which  was  served  to  the  crews  as  usual,  in  lieu  of 
their  salt  provisions,  and  was  very  much  relished 
by  us,  notwithstanding  the  peculiarity  of  its  fla- 
vour.* The  meat  was  remarkably  fat,  and,  as  it 
hung  up  in  quarters,  looked  as  flne  as  any  beef  in 

*  Some  pieces  of  this  meat  which  we  brought  to  England 
were  foundf  to  have  acquired  a  much  more  disagreeable  flavour 
than  when  first  killed,  though  they  had  not  undergone  putrefac- 
tion in  the  slightest  degree. 


i 


U\ 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


151 


Ivour 
3fac- 


I  i 


an  English  market.  A  small  seal,  killed  by  the 
Griper's  people,  was  also  eaten  by  them ;  and  it 
was  generally  allowed  to  be  very  tender  and  pala- 
table, though  not  very  sightly  in  its  appearance, 
being  of  a  disagreeable  red  colour. 

At  ten  P.M.  the  whole  body  of  ice,  which  was 
then  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  us,  was  found  to  be 
drifting  in  upon  the  land,  and  the  ship  was  warped 
oack  a  little  way  to  the  westward,  towards  that 
part  of  the  shore  which  was  most  favourable  for 
allowing  her  to  be  forced  up  on  the  beach.  At 
eleven  o'clock,  the  piece  of  a  floe  which  came  near 
us  in  the  afternoon,  and  which  had  since  drifted 
back  a  few  hundred  vards  to  the  eastward,  receiv- 
ed  the  pressure  of  the  whole  body  of  ice  as  it  came 
in.  It  split  across  in  various  directions  with  a 
considerable  crash,  and  presently  after  we  saw  a 
part,  several  hundred  tons  in  weight,  raised  slowly 
and  majestically,  as  if  by  the  application  of  a  screw, 
and  deposited  on  another  part  of  the  floe  from  which 
it  had  broken,  presenting  towards  us  the  surface 
that  had  split,  which  was  of  a  fine  blue  colour,  and 
very  solid  and  transparent.  The  violence  with 
which  the  ice  was  coming  in  being  thus  broken,  it 
remained  quiet  during* the  night,  which  was  calm, 
with  a  heavy  fall  of  snow. 

The  mass  of  ice  which  had  been  lifted  up  the 
preceding  day  being  drifted  close  to  us  on  the 
morning  of  the  10th,  I  sent  Lieutenant  Beechey  to 
measure  its  thickness,  which  proved  to  be  forty-two 
feet ;  and  as  it  was  a  piece  of  a  regular  floe,  this 
measurement  may  serve  to  give  some  idea  of  the 
general  thickness  of  the  ice  in  this  neighbourhood. 

I  began  to  consider  whether  it  would  not  be  ad- 


152 


VOYAGE  Poll  THE   DISCOVERY 


.I* 


■7ii. 


«.^i\ 


III 


,111 

III 

1^ 


visable,  whenever  the  ice  would  allow  us  to  move, 
to  sacrifice  a  few  miles  of  the  westing  we  had  al- 
ready made,  and  to  run  along  the  margin  of  the 
floes,  in  order  to  endeavour  to  find  an  opening  lead- 
ing to  the  southward,  by  taking  advantage  of  which 
we  might  be  enabled  to  prosecute  the  voyage  to  the 
westward  in  a  lower  latitude,  I  was  the  more  in- 
clined to  make  this  attempt,  from  its  having  long 
become  evident  to  us  that  the  navigation  of  this 
part  of  the  Polar  Sea  is  only  to  be  performed  by 
watching  the  occasional  openings  between  the  ice 
and  the  shore  ;  and  that,  therefore,  a  continuity  of 
land  is  essential,  if  not  absolutely  necessary,  for  this 
purpose.  Such  a  continuity  of  land,  which  was 
here  about  to  fail  us,  must  necessarily  be  furnished 
by  the  northern  coast  of  America,  in  whatsoever 
latitude  it  may  be  found  ;  and,  as  a  large  portion 
of  our  short  season  had  already  been  occupied  in 
fruitless  attempts  to  penetrate  farther  to  the  west- 
ward in  our  present  parallel,  under  circumstances 
of  more  than  ordinary  risk  to  the  ships,  I  deter- 
mined,  whenever  the  ice  should  open  sufficiently, 
to  put  into  execution  the  plan  I  had  proposed. 

At  seven  P.M.  we  shipped  the  rudder  and  cross- 
ed the  top-gallant  yards  in  readiness  for  moving  ; 
and  then  I  ascended  the  hill  and  walked  a  mile  to 
the  westward,  along  the  brow  of  it,  that  not  a  mo- 
ment might  be  lost  after  the  ice  to  the  westward 
should  give  us  the  slightest  hope  of  making  any 
progress  by  getting  under  way.  Although  the 
holes  had  certainly  increased  in  size  and  extent, 
there  was  still  not  sufficient  room  even  for  one  of 
our  boats  to  work  to  windward ;  and  the  impossi. 
bility  of  the  ships'  doing  so  was  rendered  more  ap- 


► 


10^' 


vT 


•« 


OP  A   NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


153 


w_ 


parent,  on  account  of  the  current  which,  as  I  have 
before  had  occasion  to  remark,  is  always  produced 
in  these  seas  soon  after  the  springing  up  of  a  breeze, 
and  which  was  now  running  to  the  eastward  at  the 
rate  of  at  least  one  mile  per  hour.  It  was  evidsnt 
that  any  attempt  to  get  the  ships  to  the  westward 
must,  under,  circumstances  so  unfavourable,  be  at- 
tended with  the  certain  consequence  of  their  being 
drifted  the  contrary  way ;  and  nothing  could  there- 
fore be  done  but  still  to  watch,  which  we  did  most 
anxiously,  every  alteration  in  the  state  of  the  ice. 
The  wind,  however,  decreasing  as  the  night  came 
on,  served  to  diminish  the  hopes  with  which  we  had 
flattered  ourselves  of  being  speedily  extricated  from 
our  present  confined  and  dangerous  situation. 
)  The  weather  was  foggy  for  some  hours  in  the 
morning  of  the  11th,  but  cleared  up  in  the  after- 
noon as  the  sun  acquired  power.  The  wind  in- 
creaseu  to  a  fresh  gale  from  the  eastward  at  nine 
P.M.,  being  the  second  time  that  it  had  done  so 
while  we  had  been  lying  at  this  station ;  a  circum- 
stance which  we  were  the  more  inclined  to  notice, 
as  the  easterly  winds  had  hitherto  been  more  faint 
and  less  frequent  than  those  from  the  westward. 
In  this  respect,  therefore,  we  considered  ours«^lves 
unfortunate,  as  experience  had  already  shown  us 
that  none  but  a  westerly  wind  ever  produced  upon 
this  coast,  or,  indeed,  on  the  southern  coast  of  any 
of  the  North  Georgian  Islands,  the  desired  effect 
of  clearing  the  shores  of  ice. 

The  gale  continued  strong  during  the  night,  and 
the  ice  quite  stationary.  Not  a  pool  of  clear  water 
could  be  seen  in  any  direction,  except  just  under 
the  lee  of  our  point,  where  there  was  a  space  largo 


i 


;»' 


■  \ 


*<i 


h0 


154 


VOYAGE   FOR   THE   DISCOVERY 


enough  to  contain  half  a  dozen  sail  of  ships,  till 
about  noon,  when  the  whole  closed  in  upon  us  with- 
out any  apparent  cause,  except  that  the  wind  blew 
in  irregular  puffs  about  that  time,  and  at  one  P.M. 
it  was  alongside.  The  ship  was  placed  in  the  most 
advantageous  manner  for  taking  the  beach,  or,  rath- 
er, the  shelf  of  submarine  ice,  and  the  rudder  again 
unshipped  and  hung  across  the  stem.  The  ice 
which  came  in  contact  with  the  ship's  side  consist- 
ed of  very  heavy  loose  pieces,  drawing  twelve  or 
fourteen  feet  water,  which,  however,  we  consider- 
ed as  good  "  fenders,"  compared  with  the  enor- 
mous fields  which  covered  the  sea  just  without 
them.  Everything  remained  quiet  for  the  rest  of 
the  day,  without  producing  any  pressure  of  conse.» 
quence ;  the  wind  came  round  to  N.b.E.  at  night, 
but  without  moving  the  ice  off  the  land. 

Early  in  the  morning  of  the  13th  I  received  by 
Mr.  Griffiths  a  message  from  Lieutenant  Liddon, 
acquainting  me  that,  at  eleven  o'clock  on  the  pre- 
ceding night,  the  ice  had  been  setting  slowly  to  the 
westward,  and  had,  at  the  same  time,  closed  in 
upon  the  land  where  the  Griper  was  lying,  by 
which  means  she  was  forced  against  the  submarine 
ice,  and  her  stern  lifted  two  feet  out  of  the  water. 
This  pressure.  Lieutenant  Liddon  remarked,  had 
given  her  a  twist,  which  made  her  crack  a  good 
deal,  but  apparently  without  suffering  any  material 
injury  in  her  hull,  though  the  ice  was  still  pressing 
upon  her  when  Mr.  Griffiths  came  away.  She  had 
at  first  heeled  inward,  but,  on  being  lifted  higher, 
fell  over  towards  the  deep  water.  Under  these 
circumstances  Lieutenant  Liddon  had  very  prop- 
erly landed  all  the  journalsi  and  other  documents  of 


i) 


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OP   A    NORTHWEST   PASSAGE- 


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P.M. 

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importance,  and  made  every  arrangement  Hn  his 
power  for  saving  the  provisions  and  stores  in  case 
of  shipwreck,  which  he  had  now  every  reason  to 
anticipate.  Convinced  as  I  was  that  no  human 
art  or  power  could,  in  our  present  situation,  pre- 
vent such  a  catastrophe  whenever  the  pressure  of 
the  ice  became  sufficient,  I  was  more  than  ever 
satisfied  with  the  determination  to  which  I  had  pre- 
viously come,  of  keeping  the  ships  apart  during  the 
continuance  of  these  untoward  circumstances,  in 
order  to  increase  the  chance  of  saving  one  of  them 
from  accidents  of  this  nature.  In  the  mean  time 
the  ice  remained  so  close  about  the  Hecla,  that  the 
slighest  pressure  producing  in  it  a  motion  towards 
the  shore  must  have  placed  us  in  a  situation  simi- 
lar to  that  of  the  Griper ;  and  our  attention  was 
therefore  diverted  to  the  more  important  object  of 
providing,  by  every  means  in  our  power,  for  the 
security  of  the  larger  ship,  as  being  the  principal 
dep6t  of  provisions  and  other  resources. 

At  five  P.M.  Lieutenant  Liddon  acquainted  me 
by  letter  that  the  Griper  had  at  length  righted,  the 
ice  having  slackened  a  little  around  her,  and  that 
all  the  damage  she  appeared  to  have  sustained  wad 
in  her  rudder,  which  was  badly  split,  and  would  re- 
quire some  hours'  labour  to  repair  it  whenever  the 
ice  should  allow  him  W  get  it  on  shore. 

Soon  after  midnight  the  ice  pressed  closer  in 
upon  the  Hecla  than  before,  giving  her  a  heel  of 
eighteen  inches  towards  the  shore,  but  without  ap- 
pearing to  strain  her  in  the  slighest  degree.  By 
four  P.M.  the  pressure  had  gradually  decreased, 
and  the  ship  had  only  three  or  four  inches  heel ;  in 


1 
J. 


156 


VOYAGE  FOE  THE  DISCOVERY 


i' 


'■'1 


!     f 


K''  ■ 


tit 


an  hour  after  she  had  perfectly  righted,  and  the  ice 
remained  quiet  for  the  rest  of  the  day. 

Every  moment's  additional  detention  now  served 
to  confirm  me  in  the  opinion  I  had  formed  as  to 
the  expediency  of  trying,  at  all  risks,  to  penetrate 
to  the  southward  whenever  the  ice  would  allow  us 
to  move  at  all,  rather  than  persevere  any  longer  in 
the  attempts  we  had  been  lately  making,  with  so 
little  success,  to  push  on  directly  to  the  westward. 
I  therefore  gave  Lieutenant  Liddon  an  order  to 
run  back  a  certain  distance  to  the  eastward  when- 
ever he  could  do  so,  without  waiting  for  the  Hecla, 
should  that  ship  be  still  detained  ;  and  to  look  out 
for  any  opening  in  the  ice  to  the  southward  which 
might  seem  likely  to  favour  the  object  1  had  in 
view,  waiting  for  me  to  join  him  should  any  such 
opening  occur. 

The  breeze  died  away  in  the  course  of  the  night, 
just  as  the  ice  was  beginning  to  separate  and  to 
drift  away  from  the  shoiu  ;  and,  being  succeeded 
by  a  wind  off  the  land,  which  is  here  very  unusual, 
Lieutenant  Liddon  was  enabled  to  sail  upon  the 
Griper  at  two  A.M.  on  the  15th,  in  execution  of 
the  orders  I  had  given  him.  As  I  soon  perceived, 
however,  that  she  made  little  or  no  way,  the  wind 
drawing  more  to  the  eastward  on  that  part  of  the 
coast,  and  as  the  clear  wataBP  was  increasing  along 
the  shore  to  the  westward  much  farther  thar^  we 
had  yet  seen  i^I  made  the  signal  of  recall  to  the 
Griper,  with*  the  intention  of  making  another  at- 
tempt, which  the  present  favourable  appearances 
seemed  to  justify,  to  push  forward  without  delay  in 
the  desired  direction.  At  five  A.M.,  therefore,  as 
soon  as  the  snow  had  cleared  away  sufficiently  to 


I 


OP  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


157 


allow  the  signal  to  be  distinguished,  we  cast  off  and 
ran  along  shore,  the  wind  having  by  this  time  veer- 
ed to  the  E.b.N.,  and  blowing  in  strong  puffs  out 
of  the  ravines  as  we  passed  them.  We  sailed 
along,  generally  at  the  distance  of  a  hundred  or  a 
hundred  and  fifty  yards  from  the  beach,  our  sound- 
ings being  from  ten  to  seventeen  fathoms  ;  and,  af- 
ter running  a  mile  and  a  half  in  a  N.W.b.W.  di- 
rection, once  more  found  the  ice  offering  an  impen- 
«:;trable  obstacle  to  our  progress  westward,  at  a 
small  projecting  point  of  land  just  beyond  us.  We 
therefore  hauled  the  ship  into  a  berth  which  we 
were  ai:  this  moment  fortunate  in  finding  abreast  of 
IK ,  and  where  we  were  enabled  to  place  the  Hecla 
within  r,  number  of  heavy  masses  of  grounded  ice, 
such  as  tio  not  often  occur  on  this  steep  coast,  which, 
compared  with  the  situation  we  had  lately  left,  ap- 
peared a  perfect  harbour.  In  the  mean  time,  the 
wind  had  failed  our  consort  when  she  was  a  mile 
and  a  half  short  of  this  place ;  and  Lieutenant  Lid- 
don,  after  endeavouring  in  vain  to  warp  up  to  us, 
was  obliged,  by  the  ice  suddenly  closing  upon  him, 
to  place  her  in-shore,  in  the  first  situation  he  could 
find,  which  proved  to  be  in  very  deep  water,  as  well 
as  otherwise  so  insecure  as  not  to  admit  a  hope  of 
saving  tl^e  ship  should  the  ice  continue  to  press  upon 
her. 

Mr.  Fisher  found  very  good  sport  in  our  new  sta- 
tion,  having  returned  in  the  evening,  after  a  few 
hours'  excursion,  with  nine  hares ;  the  birds  bad, 
of  late,  almost  entirely  deserted  us,  a  flock  or  two 
of  ptarmigan  and  snow-buntings,  a  few  glaucous 
gulls,  a  raven,  and  an  owl,  being  all  that  had  been 
met  with  for  several  days. 

Vol.  L— O 


1 


1, 


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III 


t\  ' 


158 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


A  fog,  which  had  prevailed  during  the  night, 
cleared  away  in  the  morning  of  the  16th,  and  a 
very  fine  day  succeeded,  with  a  moderate  breeze 
from  the  westward.  In  order  to  have  a  clear  and 
distinct  view  of  the  state  of  the  ice,  after  twenty- 
four  hours'  wind  from  that  quarter.  Captain  Sabine, 
Mr.  Edwards,  and  myself,  walked  about  two  miles 
to  the  westward,  along  the  high  part  of  the  land 
next  the  sea,  from  whence  it  appeared  but  too  evi- 
dent that  no  passage  in  this  direction  was  yet  to  be 
expected.  The  ice  to  the  west  and  southwest  was 
as  solid  and  compact,  to  all  appearance,  as  so  much 
land ;  to  which,  indeed,  the  surface  of  so  many 
fields,  from  the  kind  of  hill  and  dale  I  have  before 
endeavoured  to  describe,  bore  no  imperfect  resem- 
blance. I  have  no  doubt  that,  had  it  been  our  ob- 
ject to  circumnavigate  Melville  Island,  or,  on  the 
other  hand,  had  the  coast  continued  its  westerly  di- 
rection  instead  of  turning  to  the  northward,  we 
should  still  have  contrived  to  proceed  a  little  occa- 
sionally, as  opportunities  offered,  notwithstanding 
the  increased  obstruction  which  here  presented  it- 
self; but,  as  neither  of  these  was  the  case,  there 
seemed  little  or  nothing  to  hope  for  from  any  farther 
attempts  to  prosecute  the  main  object  of  the  voyage 
in  this  place.  I  determined,  therefore,  no  longer 
to  delay  the  execution  of  my  former  intentions,  and 
to  make  trial,  if  possible,  of  a  more  southern  lati- 
tude, in  which  I  might  follow  up  the  success  that 
had  hitherto  attended  our  exertions. 

The  station  at  which  the  ships  were  now  lying, 
and  which  is  the  westernmost  point  to  which  the 
liavigation  of  the  Polar  Sea  to  the  northward  of  the 
American  Continent  has  yet  been  carried,  is  in  lat- 


1 


OF  A   NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


159 


rage 
iger 
and 
lati- 
that 

ring, 
the 
the 
lat. 


itude  74°  26^  25",  and  longitude,  by  chronometer, 
113°  64'  43".5. 

The  place  where  the  Heel  a  was  now  secured,  be- 
ing the  only  one  of  the  kind  which  could  be  found, 
was  a  little  harbour,  formed,  as  usual,  by  the  ground- 
ed ice,  some  of  which  was  fixed  to  the  bottom  in 
ten  to  twelve  fathoms.  One  side  of  the  entrance 
to  this  harbour  consisted  of  masses  of  floes,  very 
regular  in  their  shape,  placed  quite  horizontally,  and 
broken  off  so  exactly  perpendicular  as  to  resemble 
a  handsome,  well-built  wharf.  On  the  opposite  side, 
however,  the  masses  to  which  we  looked  for  secu- 
rity were  themselves  rather  terrific  objects,  as  they 
leaned  over  so  much  towards  the  ship  as  to  give 
the  appearance  of  their  being  in  the  act  of  falling 
upon  her  deck ;  and  as  a  very  trifling  concussion 
often  produces  the  fall  of  much  heavier  masses  of 
ice,  when  in  appearance  very  firmly  fixed  to  the 
ground,  I  gave  orders  that  no  guns  should  be  fired 
near  the  ship  during  her  continuance  in  this  situa- 
tion. The  Griper  was  of  necessity  made  fast  near 
the  beach  in  rather  an  exposed  situation,  and  her 
rudder  unshipped,  in  readiness  for  the  ice  coming 
in ;  it  remained  quiet,  however,  though  quite  close, 
during  the  day,  the  weather  being  calm  and  fine. 

It  was  again  nearly  calm  on  the  19th,  and  the 
weather  was  foggy  for  some  hours  in  the  morning. 
In  the  evening,  having  walked  to  Cape  Providence 
to  see  if  there  was  any  possibility  of  moving  the 
ships,  I  found  the  ice  so  close  that  a  boat  could  not 
have  passed  beyond  the  Cape  ;  but  a  light  air  drift- 
ing the  ice  slowly  to  the  eastward  at  this  time,  gave 
me  some  hopes  of  soon  being  enabled  to  make  our 
escape  from  this  tedious  as  well  as  vexatious  cob« 


r 


IP'*1 


:'l 


160 


VOYAGE   FOR  THE   DISCOVERY 


V  i 


I  J  'I: 


finement.  At  a  quarter  past  eight  it  was  high  wa- 
ter by  the  shore ;  about  this  time  the  ice  ceased 
driving  to  the  eastward,  and  shortly  after  returned 
in  the  opposite  direction. 

At  half  past  eleven  P.M.,  some  heavy  pieces  of 
the  grounded  ice,  to  which  our  bow-hawser  was  se- 
cured, fell  off  into  the  water,  snapping  the  rope  in 
two  without  injuring  the  ship.  As,  however,  every 
alteration  of  this  kind  must  materially  change  the 
centre  of  gravity  of  the  whole  mass,  which  already 
appeared  in  a  tottering  state,  I  thought  it  prudent 
to  move  the  Hecla  out  of  her  harbour  to  the  place 
where  the  Griper  was  lying,  considering  that  a  ship 
might  easily  be  forced  on  shore  by  the  ice  without 
suffering  any  serious  damage  ;  Hut  that  one  of  those 
enormous  masses  falling  upon  her  deck  must  inev- 
itably crush  or  sink  her. 

The  "  young  ice"  had  increased  to  the  thickness 
of  an  inch  and  a  half  on  the  morning  of  the  23d, 
and  some  snow  which  had  fallen  in  the  night  served 
to  cement  the  whole  more  firmly  together.  On  a 
breeze  springing  up  from  the  westward,  however, 
it  soon  began  to  acquire  a  motion  to  leeward,  and 
at  half  an  hour  before  noon  had  slackened  about 
the  ships  sufficiently  to  allow  us  to  warp  them  out, 
which  was  accordingly  done,  and  all  sail  made  upon 
them.  The  wind  having  freshened  up  from  the 
W.N.  W.,  the  ships'  heads  were  got  the  right  way, 
and,  by  great  attention  to  the  sails,  kept  so  till  they 
had  got  abreast  of  Cape  Providence,  after  which 
they  were  no  longer  manageable,  the  ice  being 
more  close  than  before.  I  have  before  remarked 
that  the  loose  ice  in  this  neighbourhood  was  heavy 
in  proportion  to  the  floes  from  which  it  had  been 


I 


^mh 


OP  A   NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


161 


ver, 
and 
bout 
out, 
pon 

the 
iray, 
hey 

ich 


|avy 


broken;  and  the  impossibility  of  sailing  among 
such  ice,  most  of  which  drew  more  water  than  the 
Hecla,  and  could  not,  therefore,  be  turned  by  her 
weight,  was  this  day  rendered  very  apparent,  the 
ships  having  received  by  far  the  heaviest  shocks 
which  they  experienced  during  the  voyage.     They 
continued,  however,  to  drive  till  they  were  about 
three  miles  to  the  eastward  of  Cape  Providence, 
where  the  low  land  commences ;  when,  finding  that 
there  was  not  any  appearance  of  open  water  to  the 
eastward  or  southward,  and  that  we  were  now  in- 
curring the  risk  of  being  beset  at  sea,  without  a 
chance  of  making  any  farther  progress,  we  hauled 
in  for  the  largest  piece  of  grounded  ice  we  could 
see  upon  the  beach,  which  we  reached  at  six  P.M., 
having  performed  six  miles  of  the  most  difficult 
navigation  I  have  ever  known  among  ice.     The 
Hecla  was  made  fast  in  from  eighteen  to  twenty 
feet  water  close  to  the  beach,  and  the  Griper  in  four 
feithoms,  about  half  a  mile  to  the  westward  of  us. 
The  situation  in  which  the  ships  were  now  placed, 
when  viewed  in  combination  with  the  shortness  of 
the  remaining  part  of  the  season,  and  the  period  to 
which  our  resources  of  every  kind  could  be  extend- 
ed, was  such  as  to  require  a  more  than  ordinary 
consideration,  in  order  to  determine  upon  the  meas- 
ures most  proper  to  be  pursued  for  the  advance- 
ment of  the  public  service,  and  the  security  of  the 
ships  and  people  committed  to  my  charge.     Judg- 
ing from  the  close  of  the  summer  of  1819,  it  was 
reasonable  to  consider  the  7th  of  September  as  the 
limit  beyond  which  the  navigation  of  this  part  of 
the  Polar  Sea  could  not  be  performed,  with  tolerable 
safety  to  the  ships  or  with  any  hope  of  farther  suc- 

02 


I    «^11 


t    I 


162 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


bi':  ,:  l.i 


cess.  Impressed,  however,  with  a  strong  sense  of 
the  efforts  which  it  became  us  to  make  in  the  pros- 
ecution of  our  enterprise,  I  was  induced  to  extend 
this  limit  to  the  14th  of  September,  before  which 
day,  on  the  preceding  year,  the  winter  might  fairly 
be  said  to  have  set  in.  But  even  with  this  exten- 
sion our  prospect  was  not  very  encouraging :  the 
direct  distance  to  Icy  Cape  was  between  eight  and 
nine  hundred  miles,  while  that  which  we  had  advan- 
ced  towards  it  this  season  fell  short  of  sixty  miles. 

By  Mr.  Hooper's  report  of  the  remains  of  pro- 
visions, it  appeared  that,  at  the  present  reduced 
allowance  (namely,  two  thirds  of  the  established 
proportion  of  the  navy),  they  would  last  until  tho 
30th  of  November,  1821 ;  and  that  an  immediate 
reduction  to  half  allowance,  which  must,  however, 
tend  materially  to  impair  the  health  and  vigour  of 
the  officers  and  men,  would  only  extend  our  resour- 
ces to  the  30th  of  April,  1822 ;  it  therefore  became 
a  matter  of  evident  and  imperious  necessity,  that 
the  ships  should  be  cleared  from  the  ice  before  the 
close  of  the  season  of  1821,  so  as  to  reach  some 
station  where  supplies  might  be  obtained  by  the  end 
of  that,  or  early  in  the  following  year. 

By  the  same  report,  it  appeared  that  the  fuel 
with  which  we  were  furnished  could  only  be  made 
to  extend  to  a  period  of  two  years  and  seven 
months,  or  to  the  end  of  November,  1821 ;  and 
this  only  by  resorting  to  the  unhealthy  measure  of 
both  crews  Uving  on  board  the  Hecla  during  six 
of  the  ensuing  winter  months.  * 

The  ships  might  be  considered  almost  as  effect- 
ive as  when  the  expedition  left  England  ;  the  wear 
and  tear  having  been  trifling,  and  the  quantity  of 


) 


OP  A   NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


163 


fuel 

ide 

ren 

ind 

of 

I  six 

ict. 
jar 
I  of 


stores  remaining  on  board  being  amply  sufficient, 
in  all  probability,  for  a  much  longer  period  than 
the  provisions  and  fuel.  The  health  of  the  officers 
and  men  continued  also  as  good,  or  nearly  so,  as 
at  the  commencement  of  the  voyage.  Considering, 
however,  the  serious  loss  we  had  sustained  in  the 
lemon-juice,  the  only  effectual  antiscorbutic  on 
which  we  could  depend  during  at  least  nine  months 
of  the  year  in  these  regions,  as  well  as  the  effects 
likely  to  result  from  crowding  nearly  one  hundred 
persons  into  the  accommodation  intended  only  for 
fifty-eight,  whereby  the  difficulty  of  keeping  the  in. 
habited  parts  of  the  ship  in  a  dry  and  wholesome 
state  would  have  been  so  much  increased,  there 
certainly  seemed  some  reason  to  apprehend  that  a 
second  winter  would  not  leave  us  in  possession  of 
the  same  excellent  health  which  we  now  happily 
enjoyed,  while  it  is  possible  that  the  difficulty  and 
danger  of  either  proceeding  or  returning  might 
have  been  increased. 

A  herd  of  musk-oxen  being  seen  at  a  little  dis- 
tance from  the  ships,  a  party  was  despatched  in 
pursuit ;  and  Messrs.  Fisher  and  Bushman  were 
fortunate  in  killing  a  fine  bull,  which  separated  from 
the  rest  of  the  herd,  being  too  unwieldy  to  make 
such  good  way  as  the  others.  He  was,  however, 
by  no  means  caught  by  our  people  in  fair  chase ;  for, 
though  these  animals  run  with  a  hobbling  sort  of 
canter,  that  makes  them  appear  as  if  every  now  and 
then  about  to  fall,  yet  the  slowest  of  them  can  far 
outstrip  a  man.  In  this  herd  were  two  calves, 
much  whiter  than  the  rest,  the  older  ones  having 
only  the  white  saddle.  In  the  evening,  Sergeant 
Martin  succeeded  in  killing  another  bull;   these 


I     t^! 


•i      t 


aiMPi 


164 


VOYAGE   FOR  THE  DISCOVERT 


two  animals  afforded  a  very  welcome  supply  of 
fresh  meat,  the  first  giving  us  three  hundred  and 
sixty-nine,  and  the  other  three  hundred  and  fifty-two 
pounds  of  beef,  which  was  served  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  before.* 

It  was  gratifying  to  me  to  find  that  the  officers 
unanimously  agreed  with  me  in  opinion  that  any 
farther  attempt  to  penetrate  to  the  westward  in  our 
present  parallel  would  be  altogether  fruitless,  and 
attended  with  a  considerable  loss  of  time,  which 
might  be  more  usefully  employed.  They  also 
agreed  with  me  in  thinking  that  the  plan  which  I 
had  adopted,  of  running  back  along  the  edge  of  the 
ice  to  the  eastward,  in  order  to  look  out  for  an 
opening  that  might  lead  us  towards  the  American 
Continent,  was  in  every  respect  the  most  advisable ; 
and  that,  in  the  event  of  failing  to  find  any  such 
opening  after  a  reasonable  time  spent  in  search,  it 
would  be  expedient  to  return  to  England  rather  than 
risk  the  passing  another  winter  in  these  seas,  with- 
out the  prospect  of  attaining  any  adequate  object ; 
namely,  that  of  being  able  to  start  from  an  advan- 
ced station  at  the  commencement  of  the  following 
season. 

At  three  P.M.  we  were  abreast  of  Cape  Hearne ; 
and,  as  we  opened  the  bay  of  the  Hecla  and  Griper, 
the  wind,  as  usual  on  this  part  of  the  coast,  came 
directly  out  from  the  northward  ;  but,  as  soon  as 
we  had  stretched  over  to  Bounty  Cape,  of  which 
we  were  abreast  at  eight  P.M.,  it  drew  once  more 

*  The  total  quantity  of  game  obtained  for  the  use  of  the  ex- 
pedition during  our  stay  upon  the  shores  of  Melville  Island,  be- 
ing a  period  of  nearly  twelve  months,  was  as  follows :  3  musk- 
oxen,  24  deer,  68  hares,  53  geese,  59  ducks,  144  ptarmigans :  af- 
fording 3766  pounds  of  meat. 


OF   A  NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


165 


ex- 
it be- 

lusk- 


along  the  land  from  the  westward.  The  distance 
between  the  ice  and  the  land  increased  as  we  pro- 
ceeded, and  at  midnight  the  channel  appeared  to  be 
four  or  five  miles  wide,  as  far  as  the  darkness  of 
the  night  would  allow  of  our  judging ;  for  we  could 
at  this  period  scarcely  see  to  reaJ  in  the  cabin  at 
ten  o'clock.  The  snow  which  fell  during  the  day- 
was  observed,  for  the  first  time,  to  remain  upon  the 
land  without  dissolving ;  thus  affording  a  proof  of 
the  temperature  of  the  earth's  surface  having  again 
fallen  below  that  of  freezing,  and  giving  notice  of 
the  near  approach  of  another  long  and  dreary  win- 
ter. 

At  seven  P.M.,  a  fog  coming  on,  we  hauled  up 
close  to  the  edge  of  the  ice,  both  as  a  guide  to  us 
in  sailing  during  the  continuance  of  the  thick  weath. 
er,  and  to  avoid  passing  any  opening  that  might  oc- 
cur in  it  to  the  southward.  We  were,  in  the  course 
of  the  evening,  within  four  or  five  miles  of  the  same 
spot  where  we  had  been  on  the  same  day  and  at  the 
same  hour  the  preceding  year ;  and,  by  a  coinci- 
dence perhaps  still  more  remarkable,  we  were  here 
once  more  reduced  to  the  same  necessity  as  before, 
of  steering  the  ships  by  one  another  for  an  hour  or 
two ;  the  Griper  keeping  the  Hecla  ahead,  and  our 
quartermaster  being  directed  to  keep  the  Griper 
right  astern,  for  want  of  some  better  mode  of  know- 
ing in  what  direction  we  were  running.  The  fog 
froze  hard  as  it  fell  upon  the  rigging,  making  it  dif- 
ficult to  handle  the  ropes  in  working  the  ship,  and 
the  night  was  rather  dark  for  three  or  four  hours. 

At  a  quarter  past  three  on  the  morning  of  the 
30th,  we  bore  up  to  the  eastward,  the  wind  con- 
tinuing  fresh  directly  down  Barrow's  Strait,  ex* 


n\ 


{• 


I 


\i 


166 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVEHY 


V.  1 


^J^ 


cept  just  after  passing  Prince  Leopold's  Islands, 
where  it  drew  into  Prince  Regent's  Inlet,  and,  as 
soon  as  we  had  passed  this,  again  assumed  its  for- 
mer westerly  direction;  affording  a  remarkable 
instance  of  the  manner  in  which  the  wind  is  acted 
upon  by  the  particular  position  of  the  land,  even  at 
a  considerable  distance  from  it.  The  i^ilands  were 
encumbered  with  ice  to  the  distance  of  four  or  five 
miles  all  round  them,  but  the  Strait  was  generally 
as  clear  and  navigable  as  any  part  of  the  Atlantic. 
Having  now  traced  the  ice  the  whole  way  from 
the  longitude  of  1 14°  to  that  of  90°,  without  dis- 
covering any  opening  to  encourage  a  hope  of  pen- 
etrating it  to  the  southward,  I  could  not  entertain 
the  slightest  doubt  that  there  no  longer  remained 
a  possibility  of  effecting  our  object  with  the  present 
resources  of  the  expedition  ;  and  that  it  was  there- 
fore my  duty  to  return  to  England  with  the  ac- 
count of  our  late  proceedings,  that  no  time  might 
be  lost  in  following  up  the  success  with  which  we 
had  been  favoured,  should  his  majesty's  govern- 
ment  consider  it  expedient  to  do  so.  Having  in- 
formed the  officers  and  men  in  both  ships  of  my  in- 
tentions, I  directed  the  full  allowance  of  provisions 
to  be  in  future  issued,  with  such  a  proportion  of 
fuel  as  might  contribute  to  their  comjfort ;  a  luxu- 
ry which,  on  account  of  the  necessity  that  existed 
for  the  strictest  economy  in  this  article,  it  must  be 
confessed,  we  had  not  often  enjoyed  since  we  en- 
tered Sir  James  Lancaster's  Sound.  We  had  been 
on  two  thirds  allowance  of  bread  between  ten  and 
eleven  months,  and  on  the  same  reduced  proportion 
of  the  other  species  of  provisions  between  three 
and  four ;  and,  although  this  quantity  is  scarcely 


OP  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


167 


enough  for  working  men  for  any"  length  of  time,  I 
believe  the  reduction  of  fuel  was  generally  consid- 
ered by  far  the  greater  privation  of  the  two. 

As  it  appeared  to  me  that  considerable  service 
might  be  rendered  by  a  general  survey  of  the  west- 
ern coast  of  Baffin's  Bay,  which,  from  Sir  James 
Lancaster's  Sound  southward,  might  one  day  be- 
come an  important  station  for  our  whalers,  I  de- 
termined to  keep  as  close  to  that  shore  during  our 
passage  down  as  the  ice  and  the  wind  would  per- 
mit ;  and  as  the  experience  of  the  former  voyage 
had  led  us  to  suppose  that  this  coast  would  be  al- 
most clear  of  ice  during  the  whole  of  September,  I 
thought  that  this  month  could  not  be  better  employ- 
ed than  in  the  examination  of  its  numerous  bays 
and  inlets.  Such  an  examination  appeared  to  me 
more  desirable,  from  the  hope  of  finding  some  new 
outlet  into  the  Polar  Sea  in  a  lower  latitude  than 
that  of  Sir  James  Lancaster's  Sound  ;  a  discovery 
which  would  be  of  infinite  importance  towards  the 
accomplishment  of  the  Northwest  Passage. 


':ii 


■  ^ 


i » 


;     ) 


4  ;  •  ''I 


l-^ 


•  r        \i ;.     r 


■»r    '1 


i  t 

i  I  .  ... 


168 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


CHAPTER  XI. 


h .  I 


Progress  down  the  Western  Coast  of  Baffin's  Bay. — Meet  with 
the  Whalers. — Account  of  some  Esquimaux,  in  the  Inlet  call- 
ed the  River  Clyde. — Continue  the  Survey  of  the  Coast  till 
stopped  by  Ice  in  the  Latitude  of  68^°.— Obliged  to  run  to  the 
Eastward. — Fruitless  Attempts  to  regain  the  Land,  and  final 
Departure  from  the  Ice. — Remarks  upon  the  probable  Exist- 
ence and  Practicability  of  a  Northwest  Passage,  and  upon 
the  Whale  Fishery.— Boisterous  Weather  in  Crossing  the  At- 
lantic—Loss of  the  Hecla's  Bowsprit  and  Foremast. — Arri- 
val in  England.  ^ 

The  wind  continuing  fresh  from  the  northward 
on  the  morning  of  the  1st  of  September,  we  bore 
up  and  ran  along  the  land,  taking  our  departure 
from  the  flagstaff  in  Possession  Bay,  bearing  W. 
S.W.  five  miles,  at  half  past  four  A.M. 

The  ice  led  us  off  very  much  to  the  eastward 
after  leaving  Pond's  Bay ;  and  the  weather  became 
calm,  with  small  snow  towards  midnight.  In  this 
day's  run,  the  compass-courses  were  occasionally 
inserted  in  the  logbook,  being  the  first  time  that 
the  magnetic  needle  had  been  made  use  of  on 
board  the  Hecla,  for  the  purposes  of  navigation,  for 
more  than  twelve  months. 

On  the  morning  of  the  3d  we  passed  some  of 
the  highest  icebergs  I  have  ever  seen,  one  of  them 
being  not  less  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  to  two 
hundred  feet  above  the  sea,  judging  from  the  height 
of  the  Griper's  masts  when  near  it. 

The  vegetation  was  tolerably  luxuriant  in  some 
places  upon  the  low  land  which  borders  the  sea, 
consisting  principally  of  the  dwarf-willow,  sorrel, 


OP  A   NORTHWEST  PASSAGE, 


169 


saxifrage,  and  poppy,  with  a  few  roots  of  scurvy, 
grass.  There  was  still  a  great  deal  of  snow  re- 
maining even  on  the  lower  parts  of  the  land,  on 
which  were  numerous  ponds  of  water ;  on  one  of 
these,  a  pair  of  young  red-throated  divers,  which 
could  not  rise,  were  killed ;  and  two  flocks  of  geese, 
one  of  them  consisting  of  not  less  than  sixty  or 
seventy,  were  seen  by  Mr.  Hooper,  who  described 
them  as  being  very  tame,  running  along  the  beach 
before  our  people,  without  rising,  for  a  considerable 
distance. ,  Some  glaucous  gulls  and  plovers  were 
killed,  and  we  met  with  several  tracks  of  bears, 
deers,  wolves,  foxes,  and  mice.  The  coxswain  of 
the  boat  found  upon  the  beach  part  of  the  bone  of 
a  whale,  which  had  been  cut  at  one  end  by  a  sharp 
instrument  like  an  axe,  with  a  quantity  of  chips 
lying  about  it,  affording  undoubted  proof  of  this 
part  of  the  coast  having  been  visited  at  no  distant 
period  by  Esquimaux ;  it  is  more  than  probable,  in- 
deed, that  they  may  inhabit  the  shores  of  this  in- 
let, which  time  would  not  now  permit  us  to  exam- 
ine. More  than  sixty  icebergs  of  very  large  di- 
mensions were  in  sight  from  the  top  of  the  hill,  to- 
gether with  a  number  of  extensive  floes  to  the 
northeast  and  southeast,  at  the  distance  of  four  or 
five  leagues  from  the  land. 

While  occupied  in  attending  to  the  soundings, 
soon  after  noon,  our  astonishment  may  readily  be 
conceived  on  seeing  from  the  masthead  a  ship, 
and  soon  after  two  others,  in  the  offing,  which  were 
soon  ascertained  to  be  whalers,  standing  in  towards 
the  land.  They  afterward  bore  up  to  the  north- 
ward along  the  edge  of  the  ice  which  intervened 
between  us,  and  we  lost  sight  of  them  at  night.     It 

Vol.  I.— P 


\, 


1" 


'f  .i 


170 


VOYAGE   FOR  THfi   DISCOVEEY 


,''■  5 


WIS  now  evident  that  this  coast,  which  had  hither- 
to been  considered  by  the  whalers  as  wholly  in- 
accesible  in  so  high  a  latitude,  had  become  a  fish- 
ing station,  like  that  on  the  opposite  or  Greenland 
shore ;  and  the  circumstance  of  our  meeting  so  few 
whales  in  Sir  James  Lancaster's  Sound  this  sea- 
son was  at  once  accounted  for  by  supposing,  what, 
indeed,  we  afterward  found  to  be  the  case,  that  the 
fishing-ships  had  been  there  before  us,  and  had,  for 
a  time,  scared  them  from  that  ground. 

It  was  so  squally  on  the  morning  of  the  5th  that 
we  could  scarcely  carry  our  double-reefed  topsails, 
while,  as  we  afterward  learned  from  the  fishing- 
ships,  which  were  in  sight  at  daylight,  there  was 
scarcely  a  breath  of  wind  at  a  few  leagues'  dis- 
tance from  the  land.  We  coasted  this  low  shore,  as 
we  had  done  in  the  preceding  voyage,  at  the  dis- 
tance of  two  or  three  miles,  having  from  twenty- 
three  to  twenty-nine  fathoms  water.  We  here  met 
with  another  of  our  fishing-ships,  which  proved  to 
be  the  Lee,  of  Hull,  Mr.  Williamson,  master ;  from 
whom  we  learned,  among  other  events  of  a  public 
nature  which  were  altogether  new  to  us,  the  public 
calamity  which  England  had  sustained  in  the  death 
of  our  late  venerable  and  beloved  sovereign,  and 
also  the  death  of  his  Royal  Highness  the  Duke  of 
Kent.  Mr.  Williamson,  among  others,  had  suc- 
ceeded in  getting  across  the  ice  to  this  coast  as  high 
as  the  latitude  of  73°,  and  had  come  down  to  this 
part  in  pursuit  of  the  fish.  One  or  two  of  the  ships 
had  endeavoured  to  return  home  by  running  down 
this  coast,  but  had  found  the  ice  so  close  about  the 
latitude  of  69i°  as  to  induce  most  of  the  others  to 
sail  back  to  the  northward,  in  order  tQ  get  back  in 


,  I 


OF  A   NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


171 


the  same  way  that  they  came.  Mr.  Williamson 
also  reported  his  having,  a  day  or  two  before,  met 
with  some  Esquimaux  in  the  inlet  named  the  River 
Clyde  in  1818,  which  was  just  to  the  southward  of 
us.  Considering  it  a  matter  of  some  interest  to 
communicate  with  these  people,  who  had,  probably, 
not  been  before  visited  by  Europeans,  and  that  it 
might,  at  the  same  time,  be  useful  to  examine  the 
inlet,  I  bore  up,  as  soon  as  I  had  sent  our  despatch- 
es and  letters  on  board  the  Lee,  and  stood  in  to- 
wards the  rocky  islet,  called  Agnes's  Monument, 
passing  between  it  and  the  io'.^^  point  which  forms 
the  entrance  to  the  inlet  on  the  northern  side. 

At  six  in  the  evening  of  the  6th,  being  near  the 
outermost  of  the  islands  with  which  we  afterward 
found  this  inlet  to  be  studded,  we  observed  four 
canoes  paddling  towards  the  ships  ;  they  approach- 
ed with  great  confidence,  and  came  alongside  with- 
out the  least  appearance  of  fear  or  suspicion. 
While  paddling  towards  us,  and,  indeed,  before  we 
could  plainly  perceive  their  canoes,  they  continued 
to  vociferate  loudly ;  but  nothing  like  a  song,  nor 
even  any  articulate  sound,  which  can  be  expressed 
by  words,  could  be  distinguished.  Their  canoes 
were  taken  on  board  by  their  own  desire,  plainly 
intimated  by  signs,  and  with  their  assistance,  and 
they  at  once  came  up  the  side  without  hesitation. 
These  people  consisted  of  an  old  man,  apparently 
much  above  sixty,  and  three  younger,  from  nine- 
teen to  thirty  j'ears  of  age.  As  soon  as  they 
came  on  deck,  their  vociferations  seemed  to  in- 
crease with  their  astonishment,  and,  I  may  add, 
their  pleasure;  for  the  reception  they  met  with 
seemed  to  create  no  less  joy  than  surprise.     When- 


':ri 


-i  .     t. 


i ' 


172 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE   DISCOVERY 


7  ¥ 


ever  they  received  a  present  or  were  shown  any- 
thing which  excited  fresh  admiration,  they  express- 
ed their  delight  by  loud  and  repeated  ejaculations, 
which  they  sometimes  continued  till  they  were  quite 
hoarse  and  out  of  breath  with  the  exertion.  This 
noisy  mode  of  expressing  their  satisfaction  was 
accompanied  by  a  jumping,  which  continued  for  a 
minute  or  more,  according  to  the  degree  of  the 
passion  which  excited  it,  and  the  bodily  powers  of 
the  person  who  exercised  it ;  the  old  man  being 
rather  too  infirm,  but  still  doing  his  utmost  to  go 
through  the  performance. 

After  some  time  passed  on  deck,  during  which  a 
few  skins  and  ivory  knives  were  bought  from  them, 
they  were  taken  down  into  the  cabin.  The  young- 
er ones  received  the  proposal  to  descend  somewhat 
reluctantly,  till  they  saw  that  their  old  companion 
was  willing  to  show  them  the  example,  and  they 
then  followed  without  fear.  Although  we  were 
much  at  a  loss  for  an  interpreter,  we  had  no  great 
difficulty  in  making  the  old  man  understand,  by 
showing  him  an  engraved  portrait  of  an  Esqui- 
maux, that  Lieutenant  Beechey  was  desirous  of 
making  a  similar  drawing  of  him.  He  was  ac- 
cordingly placed  on  a  stool  near  the  fire,  and  rat 
for  more  than  an  hour  with  very  tolerable  compo- 
sure and  steadiness,  considering  that  a  barter  for 
their  clothes,  spears,  and  whalebone  was  going  on 
at  the  same  time  near  him.  He  was,  indeed,  kept 
quiet  by  the  presents  which  were  given  him  from 
time  to  time  ;  and  when  this  failed,  and  he  became 
impatient  to  move,  I  endeavoured  to  remind  him 
that  we  wished  him  to  keep  his  position,  by  placing 
my  hands  before  me,  holding  up  my  head  and  as» 


m 


ac- 
pat 
)po. 
for 
on 


OP  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


173 


^^■^ 


suming  a  grave  and  demure  look.  We  now  found 
that  the  old  gentleman  was  a  mimic,  as  well  as  a 
very  good-natured  and  obliging  man;  for,  when- 
ever I  did  this,  he  always  imitated  me  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  create  considerable  diversion  among 
his  own  people  as  well  as  ours,  and  then  very  qui- 
etly kept  his  seat.  While  he  was  sitting  for  his 
picture,  the  other  three  stood  behind  him,  bartering 
their  commodities  with  great  honesty,  but  in  a  man- 
ner which  showed  them  to  be  no  strangers  to  traf- 
fic. If,  for  instance,  a  knife  was  offered  for  any  ar- 
ticle, they  would  hesitate  for  a  short  time,  till  they 
saw  we  were  determined  to  give  no  higher  price, 
and  then  at  once  consented  to  the  exchange.  In 
this  case,  as  well  as  when  anything  was  presented 
to  them,  they  immediately  licked  it  twice  with  their 
tongues,  after  which  they  seemed  to  consider  the 
bargain  satisfactorily  conc'uded.  The  youngest 
of  the  party  very  modestly  kept  behind  the  others, 
and,  before  he  was  observed  to  have  done  so,  miss- 
ed several  presents,  which  his  less  diffident,  though 
not  importunate  companions  had  received.  As 
the  night  closed  in  they  became  desirous  to  depart, 
and  they  left  us  before  dark,  highly  delighted  with 
their  visit.  As  I  had  purchased  one  of  their  ca- 
noes, a  boat  was  sent  to  land  its  late  owner,  as 
only  one  person  can  sit  in  each.  Mr.  Palmer  in- 
formed me,  that,  in  going  on  shore,  the  canoes 
could  beat  our  boat  very  much  in  rowing  whenev- 
er the  Esquimaux  chose  to  exert  themselves,  but 
thoy  kept  close  to  her  the  whole  way.  During  tho 
time  that  they  were  on  board,  we  had  observed  in 
them  a  great  aptness  for  imitating  certain  of  our 
Words ;  and,  wliiio  going  on  shore,  thoy  took  a  par- 

P3 


*.( 


174 


VOYAGE   FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


■K,      !i    ■( 


ticular  liking  to  the  expression  of  "  Hurra,  give 
way!"  which  they  heard  Mr.  Palmer  use  to  the 
boat's  crew,  and  which  they  frequently  imitated,  to 
the  great  amusement  of  all  parties. 

Soon  after  we  had  landed  on  the  7th,  the  old 
Esquimaux  and  one  of  his  younger  companions 
paddled  over  from  the  main  land,  and  joined  us 
upon  the  island.  They  brought  with  them,  as  be- 
fore, some  pieces  of  whalebone  and  sealskin  dress- 
es, which  were  soon  disposed  of,  great  care  being 
taken  by  them  not  to  produce  more  than  one  arti- 
cle at  a  time ;  returning  to  their  canoes,  which 
were  at  a  little  distance  from  our  boat,  after  the 
purchase  of  each  of  their  .commodities,  till  their 
little  stock  was  exhausted.  Considering  it  desira- 
ble  to  keep  up  among  them  the  ideas  of  fair  and 
honest  exchange,  which  they  already  seemed  to 
possess  in  no  ordinary  degree,  I  did  not  permit 
them  to  receive  anything  as  presents  till  all  their 
commodities  had  been  regularly  bought.  While 
we  were  waiting  to  obtain  the  sun's  meridian  al- 
titude, they  amused  themselves  in  the  most  good- 
natured  and  cheerful  manner  with  the  boat's  crew ; 
and  Lieutenant  Hoppner,  who,  with  Mr.  Beverly, 
had  joined  us  in  the  Griper's  boat,  took  this  oppor- 
tunity of  making  a  drawing  of  the  young  man.  It 
required,  however,  some  show  of  authority,  as  well 
as  some  occasional  rewards,  to  keep  him  quietly 
seated  on  the  rock  for  a  time  sufficient  for  this  pur- 
pose ;  the  inclination  they  have  to  jump  about, 
when  much  pleased,  rendering  it  a  penilty  of  no 
trifling  nature  for  them  to  sit  still  for  half  an  hour 
together.  To  show  their  disposition  to  do  us  what 
little  service  was  in  their  power,  he  afterward  em- 


OP  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAQE. 


175 


ployed  himself  in  sharpening  the  seamen's  knives, 
which  he  did  with  great  expertness  on,  any  flat 
smooth  stone,  returning  each,  as  soon  as  finished, 
to  its  proper  owner,  and  then  making  signs  for 
another,  which  he  sharpened  and  returned  in  the 
same  way,  without  any  attempt,  and  apparently 
without  the  smallest  desire,  to  detain  it.  The  old 
man  was  extremely  inquisitive,  and  directed  his 
attention  to  those  things  which  appeared  use- 
ful rather  than  to  those  which  were  merely  anu- 
sing.  An  instance  of  this  occurred  on  my  ordering 
a  tin  canister  of  preserved  meat  to  be  opened  for 
the  boats'  crews'  dinner.  The  old  man  was  sit- 
ting on  the  rock,  attentively  watching  the  opera- 
tion, which  was  performed  with  an  axe  struck  by  a 
mallet,  when  one  of  the  men  came  up  to  us  with  a 
looking-glass.  I  held  it  up  to  each  of  the  Esqui- 
maux, who  had  also  seen  one  on  the  preceding 
evening,  and  then  gave  it  into  each  of  their  hands 
successively.  The  younger  one  was  quite  in  rap- 
tures, and  literally  jumped  for  joy  for  nearly  a 
quarter  of  an  hour  :  but  the  old  man,  having  had 
one  smile  at  his  own  queer  face,  immediately  re- 
sumed  his  former  gravity,  and,  returning  me  the 
glass,  directed  his  whole  attention  to  the  opening 
of  the  canister,  and,  when  this  was  effected,  begged 
very  hard  for  the  mallet  which  had  performed  so 
useful  an  office,  without  expressing  the  least  wish 
to  partake  of  the  meat,  even  when  he  saw  us  eat- 
ing it  with  good  appetites.  Being  prevailed  on, 
however,  to  taste  a  little  of  it,  with  some  biscuit, 
they  did  not  seem  at  all  to  relish  it,  but  ate  a  small 
quantity,  from  an  evident  desire  not  to  offend  us, 
and  then  deposited  the  rest  safely  in  their  canoes. 


V 


I  ^ 


17a 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


r  '    I! 


I 


:1' 


They  could  not  be  persuaded  to  taste  any  rum 
after  once  smelling  it,  even  when  much  diluted 
with  water.  I  do  not  know  whether  it  be  a  cir- 
cumstance worthy  of  notice,  that  when  a  kaleido- 
scope or  a  telescope  was  given  them  to  look  into, 
they  immediately  shut  one  eye  ;  and  one  of  them 
used  the  right,  and  the  other  the  left  eye. 

In  getting  out  of  their  canoes,  as  well  as  into 
them,  great  care  is  required  to  preserve  the  bal- 
ance of  these  frail  and  unsteadj'"  coracles,  and  in 
this  they  generally  assist  each  other.  As  we  wero 
leaving  the  island,  and  they  were  about  to  follow 
us,  we  lay  on  our  oars  to  observe  how  they  would 
manage  this ;  and  it  was  gratifying  to  see  that  the 
young  man  launched  the  canoe  of  his  aged  com- 
panion, and,  having  carefully  steadied  it  alongside 
the  rock  till  he  had  safely  embark(^d,  carried  his 
own  down,  and  contrived,  thoug]\  wiih  some  diffi- 
culty, to  get  into  it  without  assistance.  They  seem 
to  take  especial  care,  in  launching  their  canoes,  not 
to  rub  them  against  the  rocks,  by  placing  one  end 
gently  in  the  water,  and  holding  the  other  up  high, 
till  it  can  be  deposited  without  risk  of  injury »  As 
soon  as  we  commenced  rowing,  the  Esquimaux 
began  to  vociferate  their  newly-acquired  expres- 
sion  of"  Hurra,  give  way !"  which  they  continued 
at  intervals,  accompanied  by  the  most  good-hu- 
moured m.erriment,  as  we  crosse' ■  ..ver  to  the  main . 
[  land.  There  being  now  a  little  sea,  occasioned  by 
a  weather  tide,  wo  found  that  our  boats  could  easily 
beat  their  canoes  in  rowing,  notwithstanding  their 
utmost  endeavours  to  keep  up  with  us. 

The  two  Esquimaux  tents  which  we  were  now 
going  to  visit  were  situated  just  within  u  low  point 


y^' 


OF  A  nohthwest  passage. 


177 


ly  rum 
diluted 
a  cir- 
aleido- 
)k  into, 
f  them 

IS  into 

le  bal- 

and  in 

e  were 

follow 

would 

lat  the 

d  com- 

>ngside 

led  his 

p  diffi. 

/  seem 

es,  not 

le  end 

3  high, 

As 

maux 

xpres- 

iiiued 

d-hu- 

main . 

rid  by 

easily 

their 

now 
point 


of  land,  formi'''5  the  eastern  side  of  the  entrance 
to  a  considerable  branch  of  the  inlet,  extending 
some  distance  to  the  northward.  The  situation  is 
warm  and  pleasant,  having  a  southwesterly  aspect, 
and  being  in  every  respect  well  adapted  for  ihe  con- 
venient residence  of  these  poor  people.  We  landed 
outside  the  point,  and  walked  over  to  the  tents, 
sending  our  boats,  accompanied  by  the  two  canoes, 
round  the  point  to  meet  us.  As  soon  as  we  came 
in  sight  of  the  tents,  every  living  animal  there, 
men,  women,  children,  and  dogs,  were  in  motion  ; 
the  latter  to  the  top  of  the  hill  out  of  our  way,  and 
the  rest  to  meet  us  with  loud  and  continued  shout- 
ing ;  the  word  pilletny  [give  me]  being  the  only  ar- 
ticulate sound  we  could  distinguish  amid  the  gen- 
eral uproar.  Besides  the  four  men  whom  we  had 
already  seen,  there  were  four  women,  one  of 
whom,  being  about  the  same  age  as  the  old  man, 
was  probably  his  wi^-^  ^  the  others  were  about  thir- 
ty, twenty-two,  and  eighteen  years  of  age.  The 
first  two  of  these,  whom  we  supposed  to  be  mar- 
ried to  the  two  oldest  of  the  young  men,  had  in- 
fants slung  in  a  kind  of  bag  at  their  backs,  much 
in  the  same  way  as  gipsies  are  accustomed  to  car- 
ry their  children.  There  were  also  seven  children, 
from  twelve  to  three  years  of  age,  besides  the  two 
infants  in  arms,  or,  rather,  behind  their  mothers' 
backs  ;  and  the  woman  of  thirty  was  with  child. 

We  began,  as  before,  by  buying  whatever  they 
had  to  dispose  of,  giving  in  exchange  knives,  ax- 
es, brass  kettles,  needles,  and  other  useful  articles, 
rnd  then  added  such  presents  as  might  be  farther 
serviceable  to  them.  From  the  first  moment  of  our 
arrival  until  we  left  them,  or,  rather,  till  we  had  no- 


:W 


f        : 


1         I 


178 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


I 


thing  left  to  give,  the  females  were  particularly 
importunate  with  us,  and  "  pilletay"  resounded  from 
the  whole  troop,  wherever  we  went ;  they  were 
extremely  anxious  to  obtain  our  buttons,  apparently 
more  on  account  of  the  ornament  of  the  crown 
and  anchor  which  they  observed  upon  them  than 
from  any  value  they  set  upon  their  use  ;  and  sev- 
eral of  these  were  cut  off  our  jackets  to  please 
their  fancy.  When  I  first  endeavoured  to  bargain 
for  a  sledge,  the  persons  I  addressed  gave  me  dis- 
tinctly to  understand  by  signs  that  it  was  not  their 
property,  and  pointed  towards  the  woman  who  own- 
ed it ;  though  my  ignorance  in  this  respect  offered  a 
good  opportunity  of  defrauding  me,  had  they  been 
so  inclined,  by  receiving  an  equivalent  for  that 
which  did  not  belong  to  them :  on  the  owner's 
coming  forward,  the  bargain  was  quickly  conclu- 
ded. The  pikes  which  I  gave  in  exchange  under- 
went the  usual  ceremony  of  licking,  and  the  sledge 
was  carried  to  our  boat  with  the  most  perfect  un- 
derstanding on  both  sides.  In  another  instance, 
an  axe  was  offered  by  some  of  the  Griper's  gen- 
tlemen as  the  price  of  a  dog,  to  which  the  woman 
who  owned  the  animal  consented.  To  show  that 
we  placed  full  confidence  in  them,  the  axe  was 
given  to  her  before  the  dog  was  caught,  and  she 
immediately  went  away  with  a  kind  of  halter  or 
harness  of  thongs,  which  they  use  for  this  purpose, 
and  honestly  brought  one  of  the  finest  among  them, 
though  nothing  would  have  been  easier  than  to 
evade  the  performance  of  the  contract.  The  read- 
iness, however,  with  which  they  generally  parted 
with  iheir  commodities,  was  by  no  means  the  effect 
of  fear,  nor  did  it  always  depend  on  the  value  of 


fcW 


«■•#■ 


OP  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


179 


the  articles  offered  in  exchange ;  for  having,  as  I 
thought,  concluded  a  bargain  for  a  second  canoe 
belonging  to  the  old  woman,  I  desired  the  men  to 
hand  it  down  to  the  boat ;  but  I  soon  perceived 
that  I  had  misunderstood  her,  for  she  clung  fast  to 
the  canoe,  and  cried  most  piteously  till  it  was  set 
down ;  I  then  offered  a  larger  price  than  before^ 
but  she  could  not  be  induced  to  part  with  it. 

The  stature  of  these  people,  like  that  of  Esqui. 
maux  in  general,  is  much  below  the  usual  stand- 
ard. The  height  of  the  old  man,  who  was  rather 
bent  by  age,  was  four  feet  eleven  inches ;  and  that 
of  the  other  men,  from  five  feet  four  and  a  half  to 
five  feet  six  inches.  Their  faces  are  round  and 
plump  in  the  younger  individuals;  skin  smooth; 
complexion  not  very  dark,  except  that  of  the  old 
man ;  teeth  very  white  ;  eyes  small ;  nose  broad, 
but  not  very  flat ;  hair  black,  straight,  and  glossy ; 
and  their  hands  and  feet  extremely  diminutive. 
The  old  man  had  a  gray  beard,  in  which  the  black 
hairs  predominated,  and  wore  the  hair  rather  long 
upon  his  upper  lip,  which  was  also  the  case  with 
the  eldest  of  the  three  others. 

The  grown-up  females  measured  from  four  feet 
ten  to  four  feet  eleven  inches.  The  features  of 
the  two  youngest  were  regular ;  their  complexions 
clear,  and  by  no  means  dark ;  their  eyes  small, 
black,  and  piercing;  teeth  beautifully  white  and 
perfect ;  and,  although  the  form  of  their  faces  is 
round  and  chubby,  and  their  noses  rather  flat  than 
otherwise,  their  countenances  might,  perhaps,  bo 
considered  pleasing,  even  according  to  the  ideas 
of  beauty  which  habit  has  taught  us  *  '^ '^rtain. 
Their  hair,  which  is  jet-black,  hangs  t  ^g  and 


¥, 


I,, 
( 


I 


litRi 


t 


^V' 


ite:'. 


t 


180 


VOYAGE  FOE  THE  DISCOVEHY 


loose  about  their  shoulders,  a  part  of  it  on  each  side 
being  carelessly  plaited,  and  sometimes  rolled  up 
into  an  awkward  lump,  instead  of  being  neatly  tied 
on  the  top  of  the  head,  as  the  Esquimaux  women 
in  most  other  parts  are  accustomed  to  wear  it. 
The  youngest  female  had  much  natural  bashfulness 
and  timidity,  and  we  considered  her  to  be  the  only 
unmarried  one,  as  she  differed  from  the  other  three 
in  not  being  tattooed  upon  the  face.  Two  of  them 
had  their  hands  tattooed  also,  and  the  old  woman 
had  a  few  marks  of  the  same  kind  about  each 
wrist.  None  of  the  men  or  children  were  thus 
distinguished. 

The  children  were  generally  good-looking,  and 
the  eldest  boy,  about  twelve  years  of  age,  was  a 
remarkably  fine  and  even  handsome  lad.  They 
were  rather  scared  at  us  at  first ;  but  kind  treat- 
ment and  a  few  trifling  presents  soon  removed 
their  fears,  and  made  them  almost  as  importunate 
as  the  rest. 

The  dress  of  the  men  consists  of  a  sealskin  jack- 
et, with  a  hood,  which  is  occasionally  drawn  over 
the  head,  of  which  it  forms  the  only  covering. 
The  breeches  are  also  generally  of  sealskin,  and 
are  made  to  reach  below  the  knee ;  and  their  boots, 
which  meet  the  breeches,  are  made  of  the  same 
material.  In  this  dress  we  perceived  no  difference 
from  that  of  the  other  Esquimaux,  except  that  the 
jacket,  instead  of  having  a  pointed  flap  before  and 
behind,  as  usual,  was  quite  straight  behind,  and  had 
a  sort  of  scallop  before  in  the  centre.  Tn  the  dress 
of  thr  women  there  was  not  so  much  regard  to  de- 
cency as  in  that  of  the  men.  The  jacket  is  of 
sealskin,  with  a  short,  pointed  flap  before,  and  a 


I" 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


181 


each  side 
rolled  up 
eatly  tied 
X  women 

wear  it. 
ishfulness 

the  only 
her  three 
0  of  them 
d  woman 
lOut  each 
vere  thus 

king,  and 
^e,  was  a 
i.  They 
nd  treat- 
removed 
portunate 

jkin  jack- 
iwn  over 
overing. 
skin,  and 
eir  boots, 
the  same 
ifference 
that  the 
fore  and 
and  had 
the  dress 
rd  to  de- 
tet  is  of 
'e,  and  a 


-  ■m 


long  one  behind,  reaching  almost  to  the  ground. 
They  had  on  a  kind  of  drawers,  similar  to  those 
described  by  Crantz  as  the  summer  dress  of  the 
Greenland  women,  and  no  breeches.  The  draw- 
ers cover  the  middle  part  of  the  body,  from  the 
hips  to  one  third  down  the  thigh,  the  rest  of  which 
is  entirely  naked  as  far  as  the  knee.  The  boots 
are  like  those  of  the  men ;  and,  besides  these,  they 
have  a  pair  of  very  loose  leggins,  as  they  may  bo 
called,  which  hang  down  carelessly  upon  the  top  of 
the  boots,  suffering  their  thighs  to  be  exposed  in 
the  manner  before  described,  but  which  may  be  in- 
tended occasionally  to  fasten  up,  so  as  to  complete 
the  covering  of  the  whole  body^  The  children  are 
all  remarkably  well  clothed ;  their  dress,  both  in 
male  and  female,  being  in  every  respect  the  same  as 
that  of  the  men,  and  composed  entirely  of  sealskin 
very  neatly  sewed. 

The  tents  which  compose  their  summer  habita- 
tions are  principally  supported  by  a  long  pole  of 
whalebone,  fourteen  feet  high,  standing  perpendic- 
ularly, with  four  or  five  feet  of  it  projecting  above 
the  skins  which  form  the  roof  and  sides.  The 
length  of  the  tent  is  seventeen,  and  its  breadth 
from  seven  to  nine  feet,  the  narrowest  part  being 
next  the  door,  and  widening  toward*  the  inner  part, 
where  the  bed,  composed  of  a  quantity  of  the  small 
shrubby  plant,  the  Andromeda  Tetragona^  occupies 
about  one  third  of  the  wl>ole  apartment.  The  pole 
of  the  tent  is  fixed  where  the  bed  commences,  and 
the  latter  is  kept  separate  by  seme  pieces  of  bone 
laid  across  the  tent  from  side  to  side.  The  door, 
which  faces  the  southwest,  is  also  formed  of  two 
pieces  of  bone,  with  the  upper  ends  fastened  to- 
Vol.  I.— Q 


t. 


H        i 


I' ! 


182 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


gether,  and  the  skins  are  made  to  overlap  in  that 
part  of  the  tent,  which  is  much  lower  than  the  in- 
ner  end.  The  covering  is  fastened  to  the  ground 
by  curved  pieces  of  bone,  being  generally  parts  of 
the  whale ;  the  tents  were  ten  or  fifteen  yards- 
apart,  and  about  the  same  distance  from  the  beachr 

The  canoe  which  1  purchased,  and  which  was  one 
of  the  best  of  the  five  that  we  saw,  is  sixteen  feet 
eleven  inches  in  length,  and  its  extreme  breadth 
two  feet  one  inch  and  a  half  ^  two  feet  of  its  fore 
end  are  out  of  the  water  when  floating.  It  .i3ra 
from  the  canoe  of  Greenland  in  being  somewhat 
lower  at  each  end,  and  also  in  having  a  higher  rin» 
or  gunwale,  as  it  may  be  termed,  round  the  circu- 
lar hole  where  the  man  sits,  which  may  make  them 
somewhat  safer  at  sea.  Their  construction  is,  in 
other  respects,  much  the  same  ;  the  timbers  or  ribs, 
which  are  five  or  six  inches  apart,  as  well  as  the 
fore  and  aft  connecting  pieces,  being  of  whalebone 
or  drift-wood,  and  the  skins  with  which  they  were 
covered,  those  of  the  seal  and  walrus.  When  the 
canoes  are  taken  on  the  shore,  they  are  carefully 
placed  upon  two  upright  piles  or  pillars  of  stones, 
four  feet  high  from  the  ground,  in  order  to  allow  the 
air  to  pass  under  to  dry  them,  and  prevent  their  rot* 
ting.  The  paddle  is  double  and  made  of  fir,  the 
edges  of  the  blade  being  covered  with  hard  bone  to 
secure  them  from  wearing.  <■ 

The  spears  or  darts  which  they  use  in  killing 
seals  and  other  sea  animals,  consist,  like  the  har- 
poons of  our  fishermen,  of  two  parts,  a  staflf,  and 
the  spear  itself;  the  farmer  is  usually  of  wood, 
when  so  scarce  and  valuable  a  commodity  can  be 
obtained,  from  three  and  a  half  to  five  feet  ia  length. 


OF  A   NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


183 


in  that 
I  the  in- 
ground 
parts  of 
n  yards* 
e  beachr 
was  one 
teen  feet 
breadth 
■  its  fore 
It      /era 
omewhat 
gher  riro 
he  circiu 
ake  them 
ion  is,  in 
s  or  ribs, 
ill  as  the 
halebone 
ley  were 
Vhen  the 
carefully 
)f  stones^ 
allow  the 
their  rot* 
)f  fir,  the 
d  bone  to 

in  killing 
the  bar- 
staff,  and 
of  wood, 
ty  can  be 
in  lengthy 


and  the  latter  of  bone,  about  eighteen  ihches  long, 
sometimes  tipped  with  iron,  but  more  commonly 
ground  to  a  blunt  point  at  one  end,  while  the  other 
fits  into  a  socket  in  the  staff,  to  which  it  is  firmly 
secured  by  thongs.  The  lines  which  they  attach 
to  their  spears  are  very  neatly  cut  out  of  sealskins, 
and,  when  in  a  state  of  preparation,  are  left  to 
stretch  till  dry  between  the  tents,  and  then  made 
up  into  coils  for  use.  They  make  use  of  a  bladder 
fastened  to  the  end  of  the  line,  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  the  other  Esquimaux.  Besides  the  spears, 
we  purchased  an  instrument  having  a  rude  hook  of 
iron  let  into  a  piece  of  bone,  and  secured  by  thongs 
to  a  staff,  the  hook  being  sharply  pointed,  but  not 
barbed.  While  we  were  on  the  island  (to  which  I 
had  applied  the  name  of  Observation  Island),  it  hap- 
pened that  a  small  bird  flew  near  us,  when  one  of 
the  Esquimaux  made  a  sign  of  shooting  it  with  a 
bow  and  arrow  in  a  manner  whi^h  could  not  be 
misunderstood.  It  is  remarkable,  therefore,  that 
we  could  not  find  about  their  tents  any  of  these 
weapons,  except  a  little  one  of  five  or  six  inched 
long,  the  bow  being  made  of  whalebone  and  the 
arrow  of  fir,  with  a  feather  at  one  end  and  a  blunt 
point  of  bone  at  the  other,  evidently  a^ppearing  to 
be  a  child's  toy,  and  intended,  pei'haps,  to  teach  the 
use  of  it  at  an  early  age.  i 

The  runners  of  the  only  sledge  we  saw  were 
composed  of  the  right  and  left  jawbones  of  a  young 
whale,  being  nine  feet  nine  inches  long,  and  one  foot 
seven  inches  apart,  and  seven  inches  high  from  the 
ground.  They  are  connected  by  a  number  of  par- 
allel pieces,  made  out  of  the  ribs  of  the  whale,  and 
secured  transversely  with  seizings  of  whalebone, 


^. 


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IMAGE  EVALUATION 
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Sdences 
Corporation 


33  WIST  MAIN  STRUT 
WIUTH.N.V.  MSM 

(ri»)t7a-4503 


184 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE   DISCOVERY 


l\ 


if 


form 


of 


and  the  back 


3  bottom 

is  made  of  two  deers'  horns  placed  in  an  upright 
position.  The  lower  part  of  the  runners  is  shod 
with  a  harder  kind  of  bone,  to  resist  the  friction 
against  the  ground.  The  whole  vehicle  is  rudely 
executed,  and,  being  nearly  twice  the  weight  of  the 
sledges  we  saw  among  the  northern  Esquimaux,  is 
probably  intended  for  carrying  heavy  burdens. 
The  dogs  were  not  less  than  fifty  or  sixty  in  num- 
ber, and  had  nothing  about  them  different  from  those 
on  the  eastern  coast  of  Baffin's  Bay,  except  they 
do  not  stand  near  so  high  as  those  of  the  latitude 
of  76°.  They  are  very  shy  and  wild,  and  the  na- 
tives had  great  difficulty  in  catching  them  while  we 
were  by,  as  well  as  holding  them  in  when  caught. 
Some  of  them  have  much  more  of  the  wolf  in  their 
abearance  than  others,  having  very  long  heads  and 
sharp  noses,  with  a  brushy  tail,  almost  always  car- 
ried between  the  legs ;  while  the  bodies  of  others 
are  less  lank,  as  well  as  their  noses  less  sharp,  and 
they  carry  their  tails  handsomely  curled  over  their 
backs:  their  colour  varied  from  quite  dark  to  brin- 
dled. The  ravenous  manner  in  which  they  devour 
their  food  is  almost  incredible.  Both  the  old  and 
young  ones,  when  a  bird  is  given  them,  generally 
swallow  feathers  and  all ;  and  an  old  dog  that  I 
purchased,  though  regularly  fed  while  on  board  by 
a  person  appointed  for  that  purpose,  ate  up,  with 
great  avidity,  a  large  piece  of  canvass,  a  cotton 
handkerchief,  which  one  of  the  men  had  just  washed 
and  laid  down  by  his  side,  atid  a  part  of  a  check 
shirt.  The  young  dogs  will  at  any  time  kill  them- 
selves by  over-eating  if  permitted.  The  children 
appeared  to  have  some  right  of  property  in  tho 


i 


OF  A  KO&TQWEST  PASSAGE. 


185 


Bmaller  puppies,  or  else  their  parents  are  very  in- 
dulgent to  them,  for  several  bargains  of  this  kind 
were  made  with  them,  without  any  objection  or  in- 
terference on  the  part  of  the  parents,  who  were 
standing  by  at  the  time. 

Within  a  few  stones,  irregularly  placed  in  a  cor- 
ner of  each  tent,  was  a  lump  of  oil  and  moss,  and 
over  each  of  these  was  suspended  a  small  stone 
vessel  of  an  oblong  shape,  and  broader  at  the  top  ^ 
than  at  the  bottom,  containing  a  large  mess  of  sea- 
horse flesh,  with  a  great  quantity  of  thick  gravy. 
Some  ribs  of  this  meat  were  by  no  means  bad  look- 
ing ;  and,  but  for  the  blood  mixed  with  the  gravy, 
and  the  dirt  which  accompanied  the  cooking,  might 
perhaps  be  palatable  enougb.  I  bargained  with  a 
woman  for  one  of  the  stone  vessels,  giving  her  a 
brass  kettle  in  exchange.  Before  she  gave  it  into 
my  possession,  she  emptied  the  meat  into  another 
vessel,  and  then^with  the  flap  of  her  jacket,  wiped 
out  the  remains  of  the  gravy ;  thus  combining  with 
what  our  notions  of  cleanliness  incline  us  to  con- 
sider a  fllthy  act,  an  intention  of  decency  and  a  de- 
sire to  oblige  us,  which,  however  inconsistent,  it  was 
pleasing  to  observe.  Some  of  their  vessels  are 
tnade  of  whalebone,  in  a  circular  form,  one  piece 
being  bent  into  the  proper  shape  for  the  sides,  and 
another  flat  piece,  of  the  same  material,  sewn  to  it  ; 
for  a  bottom,  so  closely  as  to  make  it  perfectly  wa- 
ter tight.  Their  knives  are  made  of  the  tusks  of 
the  walrus,  cut  or  ground  sufficiently  thin  for  the 
purpose,  and  retaining  the  original  curve  of  the  tusk, 
so  as  to  resemble  the  little  swords  which  children 
have  as  toys  in  England.  As  they  do  not  appear 
to  have  any  instrument  like  a  saw,  great  time  and 


^    I 


N 


Q2 


180 


VOYAGE  FOR  THE   DISCOVERT 


labour  must  be  required  in  making  one  of  tbese 
knives,  which  seem  to  answer  most  of  the  purposes 
to  which  they  have  occasion  to  apply  them. 

From  the  description  given  to  us  by  Mr.  William, 
son,  we  found  that  these  were  the  same  persons  who 
had  been  seen  by  the  Lee's  people ;  but  we  had 
several  proofs  of  their  having  had  some  previous 
communication,  directly  or  indirectly,  with  the  civ- 
ilized world ;  such  as  some  light-blue  beads,  strung 
by  themselves  on  thin  leathern  threads ;  and  an  in- 
strument for  chopping,  very  muh  resembling  a  coop- 
er's adze,  which  had  evidently  been  secured  to  a 
handle  of  bone  for  some  time  past,  and  of  which 
the  iron  was  part  of  an  old  file. 

The  short  time  we  were  among  them,  as  well  as 
the  want  of  an  interpreter,  prevented  our  obtaining 
much  of  the  information,  which  would  have  been 
interesting,  respecting  the  language,  manners,  and 
number  of  this  tribe  of  Esquimaiim  They  call  the 
bear  nennook,  the  deer  tookiook,  and  the  hare  ooka- 
Uk,  being  nearly  the  same  words  as  those  used  on 
the  eastern  coast  of  Baffin's  Bay.  As  it  was  con- 
sidered a  matter  of  some  interest  to  ascertain 
whether  they  were  acquainted  with  the  musk-ox,  a 
drawing  of  that  animal  was  put  before  the  men  who 
were  on  board.  The  small  size  of  it  seemed,  at 
first  sight,  to  confound  them ;  but,  as  soon  as  the 
real  head  and  horns  were  produced,  they  immedi- 
ately recognised  them,  and  eagerly  repeated  the 
word  oomingmack,  which  at  once  satisfied  us  that 
they  knew  the  musk-ox,  and  that  this  was  the  ani* 
mal  spoken  of  by  the  Esquimaux  of  Greenland, 
under  the  same  name,  somewhat  difTerently  pro- 
nounced* 


OF   A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


187 


To  judge  by  their  appearance,  and  what  is,  per- 
haps, a  better  criterion,  the  number  of  their  children, 
there  could  be  little  doubt  that  the  means  of  sub- 
sistence which  they  possess  are  very  abundant ; 
but  of  this  we  had  more  direct  proof  by  the  quan- 
tity of  sea-horses  and  seals  which  we  found  con- 
cealed under  stones  along  the  shore  of  the  north 
branch,  as  well  as  on  Observation  Island.  Mr.  Fife 
reported  that,  in  sounding  the  north  branch,  he  met 
with  their  winter  huts  above  two  miles  above  the 
tents  on  the  same  shore,  and  that  they  were  partly 
excavated  from  a  bank  facing  the  sea,  and  the  rest 
built  round  with  stones. 

We  saw  no  appearance  of  disease  among  the 
seventeen  persons  who  inhabited  the  tents,  except 
that  the  eyes  of  the  old  couple  were  rather  blear, 
and  a  very  young  infant  looked  pale  and  sickly. 
The  old  man  had  a  large  scar  on  one  side  of  his 
head,  which  he  explained  to  us  very  clearly  to  be 
a  wound  he  had  received  from  a  nennook  (bear). 
Upon  the  whole,  these  people  may  be  considered  in 
possession  of  every  necessary  of  life,  as  well  as  of 
most  of  the  comforts  and  conveniences  which  can 
be  enjoyed  in  so  rude  a  state  of  society.  In  the 
situation  and  circumstances  in  which  the  Esqui- 
maux of  North  Greenland  are  placed,  there  is  much 
to  excite  compassion  for  the  low  state  to  which  hu- 
man nature  appears  to  be  there  reduced ;  a  state 
in  few  respects  superior  to  that  of  the  bear  or  the 
seal  which  they  kill  for  their  subsistence.  But, 
with  these,  it  was  impossible  not  to  experience  a 
feeling  of  a  more  pleasing  kind :  there  was  a  re- 
spectful decency  in  their  general  behaviour,  which 
at  oace  struck  us  as  very  different  from  that  of  the 


■■5 


I  'i   -'4 


"si 


^:^ 


h 


If; 


\t 


*  it 


Jt., 


188 


VOYAGE   FOR   THE   DISCOVERY 


Other  untutored  Esquimaux,  and  in  their  persons 
there  was  less  of  that  intolerable  filth  by  which 
these  people  are  so  generally  distinguished.  But 
the  superiority  for  which  they  are  the  most  remark, 
able  is,  the  perfect  honesty  which  characterized  all 
their  dealings  with  us.  During  the  two  hours  that 
the  men  were  on  board,  and  for  four  or  five  hours 
that  we  were  subsequently  among  them  on  shore 
(on  both  which  occasions  the  temptation  to  steal 
from  us  was  perhaps  stronger  than  we  can  well  im- 
agine, and  the  opportunity  of  doing  so  by  no  means 
wanting),  not  a  single  instance  occurred,  to  my 
knowledge.,  of  their  pilfering  the  most  trifling  arti. 
cle.  It  is  pleasing  to  record  a  fact  no  less  singular 
in  itself  than  honourable  to  these  simple  people. 

Having  made  the  necessary  observations,  we  went 
to  the  tents  to  take  leave  of  our  new  acquaintance. 
The  old  man  seemed  quite  fatigued  with  the  day's 
exertions ;;  but  his  eyes  sparkled  with  delight,  and 
we  thought  with  gratitude  too,  on  being  presented 
with  another  brass  kettle  to  add  to  the  stores  with 
which  we  had  already  enriched  him.  He  seemed 
to  understand  us  when  we  shook  him  by  the  hand ; 
the  whole  group  watched  us  in  silence  as  we  went 
into  the  boat,  and,  as  soon  as  we  had  rowed  a  few 
hundred  yards  from  the  beach,  quietly  returned  to 
their  tents..  .  ; 

The  wind  being  contrary  on  the  8th,  we  made 
very  little  progress  to  the  southward.  The  sound, 
ings  continuing  as  regular  as  before,  we  stood  in- 
shore to  eleven  fathoms,  and  put  the  trawl  over- 
board for  an  hour  or  two  in  the  afternoon,  bringing 
up  a  great  quantity  of  sea-eggs,  a  few  very  small 
oysters,  and  some  marine  insects,  but  nothing  that 
could  furnish  us  with  a  fresh  meal. 


r 


i^.'k  ► 


.X    t_ 


OF  ▲   NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


189 


^• 


sons 
^hich 
But 
mrk- 
idall 
sthat 
lours 
shore 
steal 
II  im- 
neans 

0  my 
;  arti- 
igular 
pie. 

5  went 
Lance. 

1  day's 
t,  and 
rented 
3  with 
}emed 
hand; 
J  went 
a  few 
led  to 

made 
ound- 
od  in* 

over- 
mging 

small 
gthat 


The  wind  having  fallen,  we  made  little  progress 
to  the  southeast  till  the  morning  of  the  12th,  when 
a  light  breeze  springing  up  from  the  southwest,  all 
sail  was  made  to  examine  the  state  of  the  ice.  On 
approaching  the  floes,  however,  we  found  such  a 
quantity  of  bay-ice,  the  formation  of  which  upon 
the  surface  had  been  favoured  by  the  late  calm 
weather,  that  the  Hecla  was  soon  stopped  altogeth. 
er  ;  a  circumstance  which  gave  us,  as  usual,  much 
trouble  in  extricating  ourselves  from  it,  but  not 
very  material  as  regarded  our  farther  progress  to 
the  southward,  the  floes  being  found  to  stretch  quite 
close  in  to  the  land,  leaving  no  passage  whatever 
between  them.  The  compasses  now  traversed 
very  freely,  and  were  made  use  of  for  the  purpo- 
ses of  navigation  in  the  ordinary  way. 

The  fog  continued  so  thick  on  the  16th  as  to 
oblige  us  to  keep  the  ships  fast  to  the  floe.  In  the 
aflernoon  the  deep-sea  clamms  were  sent  down  to 
the  bottom  with  two  thousand  and  ten  fathoms  of 
line,  which  were  fifty-eight  minutes  in  running  out, 
during  which  time  no  perceptible  check  could  be 
observed,  nor  even  any  alteration  in  the  velocity 
with  which  the  line  ran  out.  In  hauling  it  in  again, 
however,  which  occupied  both  ships'  companies 
above  an  hour  and  a  half,  we  found  such  a  quantity 
of  the  line  covered  with  mud  as  to  prove  that  the 
whole  depth  of  water  was  only  eight  hundred  and 
nine  fathoms,  the  rest  of  the  line  having  continued 
to  run  out  by  its  own  weight,  after  the  instrument 
had  struck  the  ground.  I  have  before  had  occa- 
sion to  remark  that,  on  this  account,  it  is  not  easy 
to  ascertain  the  actual  depth  of  the  sea  in  the  usual 
manner  when  it  e^cceeds  five  or  six  hundred  &th- 
oms. 


n 


I  ' 


1 


il-  < 


ii  I.,' 

I- 


%^ 


l)' 


r 


'^ 


#^ 


190 


VOYAGE  FOB   THE  DISCOYE&T 


The  ships  were  secured  to  a  berg  at  six  P.M.  of 
the  18th,  and  the  wind  having  freshened  up  to  a 
gale  from  the  N.W.b.N.,  with  some  swell,  we 
were  much  annoyed  during  the  night  by  the  ice 
which  drifted  under  the  lee  of  it,  and  on  which  the 
ships  were  constantly  striking  with  a  heavy  shock, 
such  as  no  others  could  have  long  withstood.  This 
danger  is  avoided  by  ships  lying  very  close  under 
the  lee  of  a  berg,  but  a  much  greater  is  thereby 
incurred  from  the  risk  of  the  berg's  upsetting ;  a 
circumstance  which  is  always  to  be  apprehended 
in  a  swell,  and  which  must  be  attended  with  cer- 
tain  destruction  to  a  ship  moored  very  near  to  it. 

On  the  24  and  25th  we  continued  our  progress 
to  the  southward,  but  without  any  success  in  ap. 
preaching,  or  even  getting  sight  of,  the  land  ;  the 
ice  being  as  close  and  compact  as  when  we  sailed 
along  the  margin  of  it  in  July  of  the  preceding 
year.  Soon  after  noon  on  the  24th  we  crossed 
the  Arctic  Circle,  having  been  within  it  fourteen 
months  and  three  weeks. 

On  the  morning  of  the  26th  we  again  stood  to 
the  westward  as  much  as  the  ice  would  allow,  but 
were  soon  obliged  by  it  to  keep  away  to  the  south- 
ward, precluding  every  hope  of  making  the  land  on 
that  part  of  the  coast  which  it  would  have  been 
most  interesting  to  explore.  In  the  afternoon,  af- 
ter various  attempts  to  get  to  the  westward,  ap- 
pearances  became  more  unpromising  than  ever,  the 
packed  ice  extending  from  N.b.E.  round  to  S.W. 
There  were,  indeed,  parts  of  the  ice  which,  with 
constant  daylight,  a  ship  might  have  entered  with 
some  probability  of  success ;  but,  with  twelve 
hours'  night,  the  attempt  must  have  been  attended 


J^' 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


191 


a 


with  a  degree  of  risk  which  nothing  but  a  very  im« 
portant  object  could  justify.  The  wind  had  now 
freshened  up  from  the  N.N.  W,,  and  the  mercury  in 
the  barometer  fell  with  unusual  rapidity,  with  every 
other  appearance  of  an  approaching  gale.  I  was 
therefore  under  the  necessity  of  admitting  the 
conclusion  that,  under  existing  circumstances,  the 
season  was  now  too  far  advanced,  and  the  state  of 
the  ice  too  unfavourable,  to  allow  of  any  farther 
examination  of  the  coast ;  and  I  determined,  there- 
fore, to  make  the  best  of  my  way  to  England. 
The  boats  were  accordingly  hoisted  in,  and  the 
fihips  made  snug  while  in  smooth  water  under  the 
lee  of  the  ice,  and  a  course  was  then  shaped  to 
the  B.S.E.,  in  order  to  obtain  an  offing  before  we 
bore  away  to  the  southward. 

On  the  second  of  October,  in  scudding  before  the 
wind  under  the  main-topsail,  a  heavy  sea  struck 
the  Hecla  on  the  larboard  quarter,  rendering  it 
necessary  to  press  her  forward  under  more  can- 
vass, by  which  we  lost  sight  of  the  Griper  in  the 
course  of  the  morning.  As  soon  as  the  weather 
moderated,  we  hove-to  iov  her ;  but,  as  she  did  not 
make  her  appearance,  having,  as  we  afterward 
learned,  been  obliged  to  lie-to  during  the  height  of 
the  gale,  we  continued  our  courso  out  of  the  Straits, 
and  did  not  again  meet  with  the  Griper  till  our  re« 
turn  to  England. 

On  the  afternoon  of  the  16th,  the  sea  being  very 
high  and  irregular,  and  the  ship  pitching  with  con- 
siderable violence,  the  bowsprit  was  carried  away 
close  to  the  gammoning,  and  the  foremast  and 
main-topmast  immediately  followed  it  over  the 
side.     The  wreck  was  quickly  cleared;  and^  by 


T 


1  i 


4 


w 


i 


"  .-* 


I  ■         *  . 
ir 


192         VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY,  ETC. 

the  greatest  activity  and  energy  on  the  part  of  the 
officers  and  men,  the  mainyard  and  mainmast 
were  saved,  the  latter  having  been  endangered  by 
the  foremast  falling  across  the  stay,  and  the  for- 
mer by  the  wreck  of  the  main-topmast  and  top- 
sail-yard lying  upon  it.  Notwithstanding  the  con- 
tinuance of  the  gale,  and  the  uneasy  motion  of  the 
ship  for  the  next  two  days,  we  succeeded  in  getting 
up  our  jury  masts  so  as  to  make  sail  on  the  even- 
ing of  the  18th.  ~      .        ;    '    *>- .Tf  i  ^  :  v;   -m.? 

On  the  29th  we  made  Buchaness,  and  on  the  fol- 
lowing day,  the  wind  having  come  to  the  south- 
ward, so  as  to  make  our  progress  very  slow,  I  land- 
ed at  Peterhead,  accompanied  by  Captain  Sabine 
and  Mr.  Hooper ;  having  first,  in  compliance  with 
their  lordships'  directions,  demanded  from  the  offi- 
cers, petty  officers,  and  all  other  persons  on  board 
the  Hecla,  the  logs,  journals,  charts,  drawings,  and 
other  documents  which  the  voyage  had  furnished, 
and  directed  Lieutenant  Beechey  to  proceed  with 
all  possible  despatch  to  Leith,  Captain  Sabine 
and  myself  proceeded  without  delay  to  London, 
where  we  arrived  on  the  morning  of  the  dd  of 
November.       ''•  -:-■•  ^'-■   .  ■^t.^rv.;.p    •* -^i-'t  ,:  ...j 


Hi;;?' 


'i^ 


»■> 


T/ 


■■\t  nu 


)  '? 


t  i. 


if 


'.n?i 


J  t  ,.  1  I 


v.. J  I.. 


.••*♦ 


'.'i'.* 


;oM;i:;::i 


>-i  \-r 


•At  X 


i* 


*the 
nasi 
dby 
for- 
top- 
con- 
f  the 
itting 
iven- 

e  fol- 
louth- 
land- 
abine 
J  with 
e  ofFi- 
board 
s,  and 
ished, 
with 
abine 
ndon, 
dd  of 


m 


,  r  r^  » 


Y<. 


'.m 


""^fef*^'. 


'f    ' 


'  I'.'     i . )    '  ''Tf    '  •' 

•^     SECOND  VOYAGE         '     '' 

NORTHWEST    PASAGE. 


'    (i)   b>':>: 


J'^i 


♦.) 


» 


{ 


!"'t  ?: 


PRELIMINARY   CHAPTER. 


:hu;  •:v;m'5= 


The  discoveries  made  by  the  expedition  to  the 
northwest  in  the  years  1819-20  being  such  as  to 
afford  a  strong  presumption  in  favour  of  the  exist* 
ence  of  a  passage  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific 
in  that  direction,  his  majesty  commanded  another 
attempt  to  be  made  to  effect  that  object ;  and  the 
lords  commissioners  of  the  admiralty  were  pleased 
once  more  to  honour  me  with  the  command  of  an 
expedition,  to  be  equipped  at  Deptford  for  that  pur« 
pose.  The  Hecla  having  been  found  well  adapted 
to  this  service,  a  second  ship  of  precisely  the  same 
class  was  now  selected,  and  I  received  my  commis- 
don  for  his  majesly*s  ship  the  Fury,  of  three  hun. 
dred  and  seventy-seven  tons  burden,  on  the  30th 
of  December,  1820.  The  Hecla  was  recommis- 
sioned  by  Captain  George  Francis  Lyon  on  the 
4th  of  January  following*  uji.  .   ,r 

H  In  our  official  instructions  I  wasr  directed  to  pro-* 
ceed,  as  quickly  as  might  be  consistent  with  every 
precaution,  towards  or  into  Hudson's  Strait  until 
Vol.  L— R  4-, 


**• 


■■^■'    '! 


A  f-^l 


^.f  ^■ 


•l«^ii 
*-j(i' 


:l!; ,. 


i 


w 


I  ' 


n 


III 

r    I 


▼ 


"'■'i;. 


194         SECOND  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 

the  ice  was  met  with,  when  the  Nautilus  transport^ 
which  was  directed  by  the  navy  board  to  be  placed 
at  my  disposal,  was  to  be  cleared  of  its  provisions 
and  stores.  We  were  then  to  penetrate  to  the 
westward,  through  Hudson's  Strait,  until  we  reach- 
ed (either  in  Repulse  Bay,  or  on  other  part  of  the 
shores  of  Hudson's  Strait  to  the  north  of  Wager 
River)  some  part  of  the  coast,  which  I  felt  convin- 
ced  was  a  portion  of  the  Continent  of  America. 

If  we  happily  reached  the  Pacific,  we  were  to 
proceed  to  Kamschatka,  from  thence  to  the  Sand- 
wich Islands  or  Canton,  and,  having  refitted  the 
ships  and  refreshed  the  crews,  to  return  to  England 
by  such  route  as  might  be  deemed  convenient. 


i 


V'i  'i^Ln-in 


iinur<  -^ii' 


■  ,1 ; 


n>j7j:H   : 


rvy 


CHAPTER  I. 


Hi    Ki!    '' 


|,i.-.i>;i     «'■ 


!Cl 


•y  k*-nui 


Passage  across  the  Atlantic — Removal  of  Stores  from  thd 
Nautilus  Transport,  at  the  Margin  of  the  Ice.— Departure  of 
the  Nautilus  for  England.— Enter  the  ice  in  Hndsra's  Strait. 
— Perilous  Situation  of  the  Hecla,  and  loss  of  her  Anchor.—' 
Meet  with  the  Hudson's  Bay  Ships. — Passage  up  the  Strait, 
and  Communicatit>n  with  the  Natives  inhabiting  the  North- 
em  Shores.— Pass  the  Trinity  Islands  of  Fox.— Arrival  off 
Southampton  Island,  where  the  Researches  of  the  Expedi- 

.   tion  commence;    *1mu   -^.a^^-  •  .rr.- 


'^ttiifnef'^':''i   '>n/f 


i\\'.rM  ;ulT  .   .i^^'-^i  a  ^'0fnMn 


K' 


i(The  Fury,  Hbcla,  and  Nautiltts  transport 
were  completed  for  sea  towards  the  latter  part 
of  the  month  of  April,  and  on  the  29th,  at  ten 
A.M.,  the  Fury  was  taken  in  tow  by  the  Eclipse 
ateamboati  which  vessel  had  before  taken  us  down 

H — A  .JO  / 


y/>  i    OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


199 


\^' 


the  river  on  a  similar  occasion.  The  Hecla  reach* 
ed  the  moorings  on  the  following  day,  and  the 
Nautilus  on  the  first  of  May.  .7  '«  ;; 

Nothing  of  consequence  happened  during  our 
passage  across  the  Atlantic;  but,  after  entering 
Davis's  Straits,  we  had  for  several  days  variable 
and  unsettled  weather,  the  wind  blowing  principal, 
ly  from  the  southward,  with  a  heavy  swell  from  the 
same  quarter.  On  the  14th  we  met  with  the  first 
iceberg,  being  in  lat.  60°  48',  long.  53°  13'. 
.  Having  now  reached  the  situation  in  which  I  was 
directed,  by  my  instructions,  to  clear  the  Nautilus 
of  our  stores,  I  gave  Lieutenant  Scrymgour  his  in. 
structions  to  return  to  England ;  and  at  one  A.M. 
on  the  1st  of  July  he  parted  company,  while  the 
Fury  and  Hecla  stood  in  towards  the  ice.  A  wha- 
ler, deeply  laden,  and  apparently  homeward  bound, 
was  at  this  time  in  sight  to  the  eastward.  -^  - 
i  At  seven  P.M.,  Tuesday,  3d  July,  the  ice  op- 
posed our  farther  progress  to  the  westward,  cover-, 
ing  the  whole  sea  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach  in 
that  direction ;  the  ships  were  therefore,  of  neces- 
sity, hove  to,  in  order  to  await  some  change  in  our 
favour.  The  ice  here  consisted  principally  of  large 
though  loose  masses  of  broken  floes,  none  cover- 
ing more  than  a  quarter  of  an  acre,  and  few  so 
much,  but  having  many  high  hummocks,  and  draw- 
ing a  great  deal  of  water.  We  counted  also  above 
thirty  bergs  in  sight  at  one  time,  and  observed  that 
many  of  them  were  carried  about  by  the  tides 
with  great  rapidity.  ,     ,     ,., 

The  wind  shifted  to  the  southeastward  in  the 
night  of  the  5th,  with  a  strong  breeze  and  heavy 
xain;  and,  on  the  following  morning,  when  the 


^i 


Pi'" 


*'^i^ 

m 


'l-   \ 


^     I 


i  i 


m 


'Hi 


196        SECOI^D  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 

ebb-tide  opened  the  ice  a  little,  a  considerable  swell 
was  admitted  from  the  sea,  causing  the  ships  to 
strike  violently  and  almost  constantly  on  the  mass- 
es of  ice  alongside  of  them.  In  this  situation  they 
Continued  for  several  hours  so  completely  beset  as 
to  render  it  impossible  to  extricate  them,  and  drift- 
ing about  at  random  with  the  tides.  The  Hecla 
was,  by  a  different  set  of  the  stream,  separated 
five  or  six  miles  from  the  Fury,  while  both  ships 
were  equally  hampered. 

On  the  13th,  both  ships'  companies  were  exer- 
cised in  firing  at  a  target  on  the  ice,  as  well  for  the 
•purpose  of  giving  them  occupation  as  of  finding 
out  who  were  the  best  shots*  On  the  same  after- 
noon we  saw  two  ships  beset  to  the  northward, 
which  we  supposed  to  be  those  bound  to  the  Hud- 
son's Bay  factories.  They  were  joined  the  next 
day  by  a  third  ship,  which  afterward  proved  to  be, 
•as  we  conjectured,  the  Lord  Wellington,  having  on 
-board  sellers  for  the  Red  River.  i 

The  ice  being  rather  less  close  on  the  morning 
of  the  16th,  we  made  sail  to  the  westward  at  7.45 
A.M.,  and  continued  '*  boring"  in  that  situation  the 
whole  day,  which  enabled  us  to  join  the  thr^e 
strange  nhips.  They  proved  to  be,  as  we  had  sup- 
posed, the  Prince  of  Wales,  Bddystone,  and  Lord 
Wellington,  bound  to  Hudson's  Bay.  I  sent  a 
boat  to  the  former  to  request  Mr.  Davidson,  the 
master,  to  come  on  board,  which  he  immediately 
did.  From  him  we  learned  that  the  Lord  Wel- 
lington, having  on  board  one  hundred  and  sixty  set- 
tlors for  the  Red  River,  principally  foreigners,  of 
both  sexes  and  every  ago,  had  now  been  twenty 
■days  among  the  ice,  ^nd  had  been  drifted  about  ia 


I 


OF  A   NOBTHWXST   FASSAGB* 


fifXV-: 


197 


various  directions  at  no  small  risk  to  the  ship.  By 
the  Prince  of  Wales  we  sent  our  last  letters  fur 
our  friends  in  England.  j.:.m  a    : 

.  Proceeding  slowly  to  the  westward,  we  had 
reached  at  noon  on  the  21st  the  lat.  of  61°  50' 
13",  long.,  by  chronometers,  67°  07'  35".  In 
this  situation  several  islands  were  in  sight  to  the 
northward  and  westward,  and,  among  the  rest,  a 
remarkable  one  called  Saddle- back  on  account  of 
its  shape.  The  wind  backing  to  the  westward  in 
the  afternoon,  we  anchored  the  ships  to  the  largest 
floe-piece  we  could  find,  there  not  being  room  to 
beat  to  the  windward.  While  thus  employed  we 
heard  voices  in-shore,  which  we  soon  knew  to  be 
those  of  some  Esquimaux  coming  off  to  us.  Short- 
ly afler,  several  canoes  made  their  appearance, 
and  seventeen  of  these  people  came  alongside 
the  Fury.  Having  hauled  their  kayaks  (canoes) 
upon  the  floe,  they  began  to  barter  their  com- 
modities, consisting  of  seal  and  whale  blubber, 
whalebone,  spears,  lines,  and  the  skins  of  the  seal, 
bear,  fox,  deer,  and  dog.  Our  first  endeavour  was 
to  procure  as  much  oil  as  possible,  of  which,  as  we 
had  been  informed  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  ships,  sev- 
eral tons  are  thus  almost  annually  obtained  from 
these  people.  We  soon  found  thai  ^hey  had  been 
well  accustomed  to  bargain-making,  for  it  was  with 
some  difficulty  that  we  could  prevail  on  them  to  sell 
the  oil  for  anything  of  reasonable  value.  They 
frequently  gave  us  to  understand  that  they  wanted 
saws  and  harpoons  in  exchange  for  it,  and  as  these 
were  articles  which  we  could  not  spare,  it  was  not 
without»trouble  that  we  obtained,  in  the  course  of 
the  evening,  two  barrels  of  blubber  in  exchange  for 


it 


^^i-ii 


•i  ■.  ? 


.*. 


^ 


111 


"si  i| 
nil  ii 
ilil 


^^ 


n 


|i   Ml 

I'     i' 


.ip'^ 


198        SECOIfb  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOYEBY 

several  knives,  large  nails,  and  pieces  of  iron  hoop, 
which  was  certainly  a  dear  bargain  on  our  side. 
If  they  saw  more  than  one  of  these  at  a  time,  they 
would  try  hard  to  get  the  whole  for  the  commodity 
they  were  offering,  though,  when  we  had  for  some 
time  persisted  in  refusing,  they  would  not  only  ac- 
cept what  was  offered,  but  jump  for  joy  at  having 
obtained  it.  They  always  licked  the  articles  given 
them,  and  in  one  instance  only  did  we  notice  any 
inclination  to  brf^ak  the  contract  afler  this  process 
had  been  gone  through. 

Shortly  after  these  men  had  arrived,  a  large 
oomiak,  or  woman's  boat,  made  its  appearance, 
containing  six  or  seven  females  and  four  men,  the 
oldest  of  the  latter,  as  is  usual  among  them,  steer- 
ing the  boat  with  a  rude  oar  of  wood.  The  wom- 
en  could  not  be  induced  to  land  upon  the  floe,  but 
held  up  skins- and  small  narrow  strips  of  well-tan* 
ned  leather  to  exchange,  loudly  vociferating  pillem 
tay  (give  me)  the  whole  time.  There  were  in  this 
boat  several  skins  of  oil  and  blubber,  which  I  tried 
hard  to  purchase,  but  nothing  could  induce  the  old 
man  to  part  with  more  than  one  skin  of  it ;  for 
what  reason  I  could  not  tell,  except  that  he  hoped, 
by  perseverance,  to  obtain  a  higher  price.  On  my 
desiring  our  men  to  hand  out  a  second  skin  of  oil, 
as  an  equivalent  for  which  I  put  into  the  old  man's 
hand  a  second  knife,  he  resisted  most  vehemently, 
pushing  our  men  aside  in  the  boat  with  a  violence 
I  have  never  seen  the  Esquimaux  use  on  any  oth- 
er occasion.  One  of  the  younger  men  then  came 
forward,  and  was  lifting  up  the  stretcher  of  their 
boat  to  strike  our  people,  who  were  good-humour- 
«dly  laughing  at  the  oki  man's  violence,  when  I 


a 


.» 


,1 


hoop, 
side. 
,  they 
lodity 
some 
ly  ac- 
laving 
given 
8  any 
rocess 

large 
ranee, 
in,  the 
steer- 
wom- 
)e,  but 
sU-tan- 
pillem 
in  this 
I  tried 
he  old 
;  for 
hoped, 
Dnmy 
of  oil, 
man's 
lently, 
olence 
y  oth» 
came 
If  their 
mour- 
rhen  I 


OF  A    NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


199 


thought  it  high  time  to  interpose,  and,  raising  a 
boat-hook  over  the  head  of  the  Esquimaux,  as  if 
about  to  strike  them,  soon  brought  them  into  a 
cooler  mood ;  af\er  which,  to  prevent  farther  alter. 
cation,  I  ordered  our  people  out  of  the  boat.  We 
had  by  this  time  succeeded  in  purchasing  all  the 
oil  brought  by  the  first  canoes  ;  and  as  the  old  fel. 
low,  who  was  commanding  officer  of  the  oomiak, 
obstinately  persisted  in  his  refusal  to  sell  his,  I  or- 
dered him  away,  when  he  immediately  rowed  to  the 
Hecia,  and,  as  I  was  afterward  informed  by  Captain 
Lyon,  sold  his  oil  for  less  than  he  might  have  ob- 
tained at  first.  Four  other  oomiaks  afterward  came 
from  the  shore,  from  which  we  were  distant  five  or 
six  miles.  Each  of  these  contained  from  fourteen 
to  twenty-six  persons,  the  majority  being  females 
and  young  children.  Upon  the  whole,  not  less 
than  one  hundred  of  the  natives  visited  the  ships  in 
the  course  of  the  evening,    n         j. ,       u  '. 

These  people  possessed  in  an  eminent  degree 
the  disposition  to  steal  all  they  could  lay  their 
hands  on,  which  has  almost  universally  been  impu- 
ted to  every  tribe  of  Esquimaux  hitherto  visited  by 
Europeans.  They  tried  more  than  once  the  art 
of  picking  our  pockets,  and  were  as  bold  and  un- 
embarrassed  as  ever  immediately  at\er  detection. 
It  is  impossible  to  describe  the  horribly  disgusting 
manner  in  which  they  sat  down,  as  soon  as  they 
felt  hungry,  to  eat  their  raw  blubber,  and  to  suck 
the  oil  remaining  on  the  skins  we  had  just  emp- 
tied, the  very  smell  of  which,  as  well  as  the  appear- 
ance, was  to  us  almost  insufferable.  The  disgust 
which  our  seaman  could  not  help  expressing  at  this 
Aight  seemed  to  create  in  the  Esquimaux  the  most 


mHiii 


1 


I 


m 


ii.  i 


■i 


I 


• ,  ■ 


200        SECOND  VOYAGE  FOR  THB  DISCOVERT 


H    I 


malicious  amusement ;  and  wheii  our  people  turn* 
ed  away,  literally  unable  to  bear  the  sight  without 
being  sick,  they  would,  as  a  good  joke  among  them* 
selves,  run  after  them,  holding  out  a  piece  of  blub- 
ber or  raw  seal's  flesh,  dripping  with  oil  and  filthy 
as  if  inviting  them  to  partake  of  it.  Both  the  men 
and  women  were  guilty  of  still  more  disgusting  in- 
decencies, which  seemed  to  afford  them  amazing 
diversion.  A  worse  trait  even  than  all  these  was 
displayed  by  two  women  alongside  the  Hecla,  who, 
in  a  manner  too  unequivocal  to  be  misunderstood, 
offered  to  barter  their  children  for  some  article  of 
trifling  value,  beginning  very  deliberately  to  strip 
them  of  their  clothes,  which  they  did  not  choose  to 
consider  as  included  in  the  intended  bargain. 

Upon  the  whole,  it  was  impossible  for  us  not  to 
receive  a  very  unfavourable  impression  of  the  gen- 
eral behaviour  and  moral  character  of  the  na- 
tives of  this  part  of  Hudson's  Strait,  who  seem  to 
have  acquired,  by  an  annual  intercourse  with  our 
ships  for  nearly  a  hundred  years,  many  of  the  vi- 
ces which  unhappily  attend  a  first  intercourse  with 
the  civilized  world,  without  having  imbibed  any  of 
the  virtues  or  refinements  which  adorn  and  render 
it  happy.   -•<  --     "j    <^  fu:  .    i^.  ;    . -^t:,}  ,:i    *.. 

•  Early  on  the  morning  of  the  22d  a  number  of 
canoes  repeated  their  visit  to  us,  the  Esquimaux 
having  hauled  them  upon  a  piece  of  ice  to  lodge 
for  the  night.  In  the  forenoon  an  oomiak  also 
came  from  the  shore,  and  as  no  intercourse  with 
them  was  permitted  till  after  divine  service,  they 
became  very  impatient  to  barter  their  commodities, 
and  walked  on  the  ice  alongside  the  ships,  with  a 
luimber  of  trifling  things  in  their  haudsi  vociferating 


-m 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


<>; 


20i 


urn* 
hout 
aem- 
t>lub- 
filth, 
men 
igin- 
izing 
i  was 
who, 
itood, 
jle  of 
strip 
Dse  to 

aot  to 
3  gen- 
Q  na- 
em  to 
h  our 
he  vi- 
with 
ny  of 
ender 

)er  of 
maux 
lodge 
also 
5  with 
,  they 
>dities, 
kvith  a 
rating 


**  pilletay"  to  such  a  degree  that  we  could  hardly 
hear  ourselves  speak.  Some  more  oil  was  obtain- 
ed  in  exchange  for  pieces  of  iron  hoop,  and,  at  a 
quarter  before  noon,  the  wind  coming  more  to  the 
southward,  and  the  ice  being  somewhat  less  close 
than  before,  we  cast  off  and  made  sail  up  the 


strait. 


•<".<■(     If!    .11. 


.  U   ] 


■f    i\'J_'cf*'\' 


The  wind  and  ice  combined  to  favour  us  more 
and  more  as  we  proceeded,  the  former  both  in 
strength  and  direction,  and  the  latter  by  opening 
into  loose  streams,  so  that,  for  the  first  time  since 
we  entered  Hudson's  Strait,  we  were  now  enabled 
to  set  all  the  studding-sails,  with  some  prospect  of 
deriving  advantage  from  them.  The  Hudson's 
Bay  ships  remained  at  anchor  some  time  after  we 
made  sail,  and  in  the  course  of  the  evening  we 
finally  lost  sight  of  them.  From  this  circum- 
stance,  as  well  as  from  the  unimpeded  progress  we 
had  just  begun  to  make  to  the  westward,  it  was 
now  only  that  we  considered  our  voyage  as  having 
fairly  commenced.  • 

We  continued,  on  the  first  of  August,  to  beat  to 
the  westward,  between  Nottingham  Island  and  the 
North  Shore,  the  distance  between  which  is  about 
four  leagues,  and  the  latter  fringed  with  numerous 
islands.  In  the  course  of  the  morning,  several  ca- 
noes and  one  oomiak  came  off  from  the  mainland, 
containing  about  twenty  persons,  more  than  half 
of  whom  were  women  and  children.  They  brought 
a  little  oil,  some  skin  dresses,  and  tusks  of  the  wal- 
rus, which  they  were  willing  to  exchange  for  any 
trifle  we  chose  to  give  them.  They  had  also  a 
number  of  toys  of  various  kinds,  such  as  canoes 
with  their  paddles,  spears,  and  bows  and  arrows,  all 


^; 


i^:.i-\ 
t-^^^ 


H 


•  I 


^: 


}  i 


# 


202      SECOIO)  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


h 


on  a  very  large  scale.  Many  of  the  jackets  of  theses 
people,  and  particularly  those  of  the  females,  were 
lined  with  the  skins  of  birds,  having  the  feathers 
inside ;  and  they  had  also  in  the  boat  several  oth- 
er skins  in  a  prepared  state,  taken  from  the  throat 
of  the  colymbus  glacialisy  which  splendid  bird, 
though  we  had  twice  found  its  skin  in  possession 
of  the  Esquimaux,  we  had  yet  not  met  with  our- 
selves*       'i  i* .{"i'''"'  ''  ■  "I  "  '■''     /;-.'i  •    ■  I 

•  The  expedition  being  now  about  to  enter  upon 
ground  not  hitherto  explored,  it  became  necessary 
for  me  to  decide  upon  the  route  it  would  be  most 
advantageous  to  pursue  for  the  accomplishment  of 
the  principal  objects  pointed  out  in  my  instructions* 


VIJ 


:)-^'V'    Mfj 


«    Ti ' '' 


i  t' 


!>' 


yjii ,  /  ■( 


\^r 


■  ■■?  i 


CHAPTER  II. 


■x^}Tr.u 


Review  of  the  Geographical  Information  obtained  by  the  Re- 
searches  of  former  Navigators  on  the  Coast  of  the  American 
Continent,  in  the  Neighbourhood  of  Vl^ager  River.— -Discover 
and  enter  the  Duke  of  York's  Bay,  supposing  it  to  be  a  Passage 
into  the  Sea  called  the  Welcome. — Leave  the  Duke  of  York's 
Bay,  and  proceed  to  the  Northwestward.— Passage  of  the  Fro- 
zen Strait  and  Arrival  in  Repulse  Bay.— Continuity  of  Land 
there.— Observations  on  Shore. — Remarks  concerning  the  Ge- 
ography* Tides,  and  Natural  History  of  this  part  of  the  Conti- 
nental Coast. 

-  After  the  most  anxious  consideration,  I  came  to 
the  resolution  of  attempting  the  direct  passage  of 
the  Frozen  Strait ;  though,  I  confess,  not  without 
some  apprehension  of  the  risk  I  was  incurring,  and 
of  the  serious  loss  of  time  which,  in  case  of  &ilure 


i'  il 


*^. 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


203 


thesd 
were 
ithers 
1  oth. 
throat 
birdy 
58sion 
I  our- 

'  upon 
3ssary 
)  most 
ent  of 
itions. 


V 


':-i*l.r 


;  I  J-'  . 

the  Re- 

merican 
)iscover 
Passage 
York's 
the  Fro- 
>f  Land 
the  6e- 
9  Contl- 


imeto 
ige  of 
rithout 
g,and 
fitilure 


either  from  the  non-existence  of  the  strait  or  from 
the  insuperable  obstacles  which  its  name  implies, 
would  thus  be  inevitably  occasioned  to  the  expedi- 
tion*    vrju 


i  ?i 


■■>■  The  accounts  given  by  Captain  Middleton  of  the 
latitude  of  the  western  entrance  of  the  Frozen 
Strait  are  so  confused,  and  even  contradictory,  that 
the  present  appearance  of  the  land  perplexed  me  ex- 
tremely in  deciding  whether  or  not  we  had  arrived 
at  the  opposite  end  of  the  opening  to  which  he  had 
given  that  name.  That  immediately  before  us  to 
the  westward,  though  it  agreed  in  latitude  within 
five  or  six  miles  with  the  southernmost  parallel  he 
has  assigned  to  it,  appeared  much  too  narrow  to 
answer  his  description  of  the  passage  we  were  in 
search  of.  Upon  the  whole,  however,  I  thought  it 
most  probable  that  this  was  the  strait  in  question ; 
and  as,  at  all  events,  the  opening  between  South- 
hampton Island  and  the  land  to  the  northward  of 
it,  in  whatever  latitude  it  might  be  found,  and  wheth- 
er wide  or  narrow,  was  the  passage  through  which 
it  was  our  present  object  to  penetrate  into  Repulse 
Bay,  [  decided  on  using  our  utmost  exertions  to 
push  through  the  narrow  strait  now  before  us. 
'>^'  On  the  morning  of  the  13th  we  observed  some- 
thing very  like  smoke  rising  from  about  Cape  Wels- 
ford,  which,  being  confined  to  one  spot,  was  thought 
likely  to  be  occasioned  by  the  fires  of  natives* 
Nothing  could  exceed  the  fineness  of  the  weather 
about  this  time  ;  the  climate  was,  indeed,  altogether 
so  different  from  that  to  which  we  had  before  been 
accustomed  in  the  icy  seas,  as  to  be  a  matter  of 
constant  remark.  The  days  were  temperate  and 
clear,  and  the  nights  not  cold,  though  a  very  thin 


f ' 


'r,i 


fin 


!  hI 


I    ■ 


!■ 


, 


'    . 


:  t 


'^^ 


204       SECOND  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


'  I 


plate  of  ice  was  usually  formed  upon  the  surface 
of  the  sea  in  sheltered  places,  and  in  the  pools  of 
water  upon  the  floes.  After  sunset  we  descried 
land,  appearing  very  distant,  through  the  middle  of 
the  strait,  which  we  considered  to  be  that  on  the 
American  side  of  the  Welcome.  At  this  time^ 
also,  we  observed  some  ice  in  the  centre  of  the 
strait  heavier  than  that  which  covered  the  rest  of 
the  sea,  and  apparently  aground  in  shoal  water,  as 
afterward  proved  to  be  the  case.        .  5  . .   v-»  ^>  Mt 

On  the  15th  we  were  within  a  league  of  a  re- 
markable headland  on  Southampton  Island,  which 
I  named  Cape  Bylot,  as  being  probably  the  west- 
ernmost  land  seen  by  that  navigator  in  1615.  In 
the  mean  time,  the  Hecla,  still  continuing  very  close- 
ly beset,  had,  in  spite  of  every  exertion,  drifted  back 
with  the  ice  several  miles  to  the  northward  and 
eastward,  so  that  in  the  course  of  the  evening  we 
lost  sight  of  her  altogether.  This  latter  circum- 
stance was,  however,  owing,  in  great  measure  to  the 
extraordinary  refraction  upon  the  horizon,  making 
terrestrial  objects  at  the  distance  of  six  or  seven 
miles  appear  flattened  down  or  depressed,  as  well 
as  otherwise  much  deformed. 

At  six  P.M.,  having  beat  up  withki  five  or  six 
miles  of  the  entrance  of  the  strait,  and  being  anx- 
ious to  sound  the  channel,  which  appeared  narrow, 
but  without  any  ice  in  it  to  offer  us  obstruction,  I 
left  the  ship  in  the  gig,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Ross, 
for  this  purpose. 

The  part  of  Southampton  Island  on  which  we 
landed  is  about  a  thousand  feet  high,  and  composed 
of  gneiss.  Every  here  and  there  along  the  shore, 
lietweea  the  projecting  points  of  rocks,  is  a  small 


i 


''■■' 


OF   A   NORTHWEST  FASSAGE. 


205 


>r  SIX 
anx« 
rrow, 
ion,  I 
Ross, 


cove  or  bay,  having  a  beach  composed  of  small 
pieces  of  limestone,  which  make  the  water  almost 
as  white  as  milk.  Landing  in  one  of  these  coves, 
we  carried  the  boat  above  high-water  mark ;  and 
making  a  tent  of  her  sail,  lay  very  comfortably  du- 
ring the  night.  When  the  boat  first  touched  the 
beach,  we  observed  an  innumerable  quantity  of  the 
little  fish  called  sillocks  swimming  about,  several 
of  which  were  killed  by  the  boat-hooks  or  taken  in 
the  hand.  A  great  number  of  white  whales,  seals, 
and  narwhals  were  also  playing  about  near  the 
beach  during  the  night.  The  white  whales  were 
the  most  numerous ;  the  noise  these  animals  made 
resembled  a  hoarse,  low-toned  barking  more  than 
any  other  to  which  I  can  compare  it ;  and  we  re- 
marked that  their  colour  was  whiter  than  any  we 
had  before  seen. 

As  soon  as  it  was  daylight  Mr.  Ross  and  myself 
ascended  the  hill  above  our  sleeping-place,  from 
whence  we  could  perceive  land  stretc<^ng  round  to 
the  westward  and  northward,  so  as  apparently  to 
leave  no  opening  in  that  quarter.  We  were  much 
surprised  at  the  low  and  yellowish  appearance  of 
this  land,  both  of  which  circumstances  we  were  at 
a  loss  to  reconcile  with  Captain  Middleton's  descrip- 
tion of  the  bold  shore  of  the  American  ContinenI, 
on  the  western  side  of  the  Welcome,  about  this  lat- 
itude. It  was  pleasing,  however,  to  observe  a  larger 
expanse  of  sea,  wholly  unencumbered  with  ice,  in 
the  direction  we  were  now  about  to  pursue ;  and 
we  therefore  hastened  to  the  beach  to  continue  the 
survey  of  the  strait,  that  no  time  might  be  lost  in 
taking  advantage  of  this  favourable  circumstance* 

After  completing  our  observations  and  examina- 

V0L.I.-.S 


^i 


;.  i 


206       SECOND  VOYAGE  FOB  THE  DISCOVERY 


tion  of  the  channel,  we  reached  the  ship  by  eight 
A.M.,  the  Fary  having,  with  great  attention,  been 
kept  close  off  the  entrance  of  the  strait  during  the 
night.  The  Hecla  had  at  this  time  just  hove  in 
jsight,  under  a  press  of  sail,  to  the  eastward,  having 
at  length,  with  much  difficulty,  succeeded  in  getting 
into  clear  water. 

At  half  past  nine  on  the  17th  we  got  under  way, 
and  stood  under  all  sail  to  the  N.N.E.,  where  alone, 
as  on  the  preceding  evening,  there  appeared  the 
smallest  chance  of  finding  any  outlet. 

Having  determined  the  continuity  of  land  all 
round  this  magnificent  bay,  possessing  so  many  ad. 
vantages  that  would  render  it  invaluable  in  a  more 
temperate  climate,  the  officers  honoured  it  with  the 
name  of  the  Duke  of  York's  Bay,  in  consequence 
of  the  expedition  having  first  entered  it  on  the  birth- 
day of  his  royal  highness. 

It  being  now  evident  that  the  inlet  into  which,  in 
the  course  of  our  endeavours  to  penetrate  to  the 
westward,  we  had  unavoidably  been  led,  would  af- 
ford us  no  passage  in  that  direction,  I  gave  orders 
for  weighing  at  the  turn  of  tide,  being  determined 
at  once  to  run  back  through  the  narrow  channel  by 
which  we  had  entered,  and  to  push  to  the  northward 
without  delay,  in  search  of  some  more  favourable 
opening. 

Our  uncertainty  respecting  the  true  situation  of 
the  Frozen  Strait,  together  with  the  want  of  obser- 
vations during  the  day,  lefl  us,  at  this  time,  in  doubt 
whether  we  had  already  penetrated  through  that 
passage,  or  had  still  to  encounter  the  difficulties 
which  the  former  accounts  of  it  had  led  us  to  an- 
ticipate. 

We  stood  up  the  bay  towards  daylight,  and  at 


i  m 


'-'I  I 


K     !    IB 


OF  A  NO&THWSST  PASSAGE. 


207 


eight 
>  been 
ig  the 
3ve  in 
laving 
jetting 

rway, 
alone, 
ed  the 

md  all 
iny  ad- 
a  more 
ath  the 
quence 
e  birth- 

hich,  in 
to  the 
)uld  af- 
orders 
jrmined 
.nnel  by 
rthward 
ourable 

ition  of 
f  obser- 
in  doubt 
gh  that 
ficulties 
IS  to  an- 

and  at 


seven  A.M.  I  left  the  Fury,  accompanied  by  a  large 
party  of  officers,  having  by  signal  requested  Cap- 
tain Lyon  to  join  us.  We  landed  upon  a  point  just 
to  the  eastward  of  this  bigbt,  in  which  neighbour- 
hood are  several  little  islands  and  coves,  probably 
affording  good  anchorage,  but  which  the  more  im- 
mediate objects  we  had  in  view  did  not  permit  us 
to  examine.  Upon  the  point  we  found  the  remains 
of  no  less  than  sixty  Esquimaux  habitations,  con- 
sisting of  stones  laid  one  over  the  other  in  very 
regular  circles,  eight  or  nine  feet  in  diameter,  be- 
sides nearly  a  hundred  other  rude,  though  certain- 
ly artificial  structures,  some  of  which  had  been 
fireplaces,  others  storehouses,  and  the  rest  toler- 
ably, built  walls  four  or  five  feet  high,  placed  two 
and  two,  and  generally  eight  or  nine  feet  apart, 
which  these  people  use  for  their  canoes,  as  well  as 
to  keep  the  dogs  from  gnawing  them.  A  great 
many  circles  of  stones  were  also  seen  more  inland. 
About  three  miles  to  the  N.N. W.  of  our  landing, 
place,  our  people  reported  having  seen  fifteen  others 
of  the  same  kind,  and  what  they  took  to  be  a  bu- 
rying-ground,  consisting  of  nine  or  ten  heaps  of 
large  stones,  of  three  feet  in  diameter,  and  as  many 
in  height.  Under  these  were  found  a  variety  of 
little  implements,  such  as  arrow  or  spear  heads  tip. 
ped  with  stone  or  iron,  arrows,  small  models  of  ca- 
noes and  paddles,  some  rough  pieces  of  bone  and 
wood,  and  one  or  two  strips  of  asbestos,  which,  as 
Crantz  informs  us,  is  used  by  the  natives  of  Green- 
land for  the  wick  of  their  lamps,  and  for  applying 
hot,  in  certain  diseases,  to  the  afilicted  part.""     Un- 

*  Crantz,  i.,  236.    The  Esquimaux  on  this  part  of  the  coast 
uie  it  only  as  sticks  for  trimming  their  lamps. 


'I 


Ml 


i  ■ 

I 

mi 


*i 


ji^ 


I  1 


Ilh 


"Hi! 


!l! 


11, 


m 


N 


208       SECOND  VOYAaE  FOE  THE  DISCOVERY 

der  these  articles  were  found  smaller  stones,  placed 
as  a  pavement,  six  or  seven  feet  in  length,  which, 
in  the  part  not  concealed  by  the  larger  stones,  was 
covered  with  earth.  Our  men  had  not  the  curiosity 
or  inclination  to  dig  any  deeper,  but  a  human  scull 
was  found  near  the  spot.  Our  people  also  reported 
that,  several  miles  inland  of  this,  they  observed 
stones  set  up  as  marks,  many  of  which  we  also  met 
with  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  point.  Of  these 
marks,  which  occur  so  abundantly  in  every  part  of 
the  American  coast  that  we  visited,  we  could  not 
then  conjecture  the  probable  use,  but  we  afterward 
learned  that  the  Esquimaux  set  them  up  to  guifle 
them  in  travelling  from  place  to  place,  when  a  cov- 
ering of  snow  renders  it  difficult  to  distinguish  one 
spot  from  another.  We  found  among  the  stones 
some  seals'  bones,  with  the  flesh  still  upon  them, 
which  seemed  to  indicate  that  the  natives  had  oc- 
cupied this  station  during  a  part  of  the  same  sea. 
son  ;  and  judging  from  the  number  of  circles  col- 
lected in  this  place,  and  still  more  from  our  subse- 
quent knowledge  of  these  people,  it  is  probable  that 
not  less  than  one  hundred  and  twenty  persons  had 
taken  up  their  residence  here  at  the  same  time. 

The  latitude  observed  on  shore  was  GG''  30'  58", 
being  the  first  observation  we  had  yet  obtained  so 
near  the  Arctic  Circle,  but  far  to  the  southward  of 
that  given  by  Captain  Middleton.*    The  longitude, 

*  The  di£ference  amounts  to  about  twenty  miles.  It  is  but 
justice,  however,  to  the  memory  ctf  Captain  Middleton  to  add, 
that  several  miles  of  this  error  may  have  been  occasioned  by  the 
imperfection  of  nautical  instruments  in  his  day,  combined  with 
the  unavoidable  inaccuracy  of  observations  made  by  the  horizon 
of  the  sea  when  encumbered  with  much  ice.  On  this  latter  ac- 
count,  as  well  as  from  the  extraordinary  terrestrial  refraction,  no 
observation  can  be  here  depended  upon,  unless  made  with  an  ar» 
tificial  horizon. 


.^f 


\i 


i      I 


OF   A   NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


209 


by  chronometers,  was  86°  30'  20" ;  the  dip  of  the 
magnetic  needlt,  88°  07'  28";  and  the  variation, 
48°  32'  57"  westerly ;  being  only  a  degree  and  a 
half  less  than  that  observed  by  Middleton  in  1742. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Return  to  the  Eastward  through  the  Frozen  Strait.— Discovery 
of  Hurd  Channel. — Examined  in  a  Boat. — Loss  of  the  Fury's 
Anchor. — Providential  Escape  of  the  Furjr  from  Shipwreck. — 
Anchor  in  Duckett  Cove.— Farther  Examination  of  the  Coast 
by  Boats  and  Walking-parties. — Ships  proceed  through  Hurd 
Channel. — Are  drifted  by  the  Ice  back  to  Southampton  Isl- 
and.— Unobstructed  run  to  the  entrance  of  a  large  Inlet  lead- 
ing to  the  Northwestward. — Ships  made  fast  by  Hawsers  to 
the  Rocks.— Farther  Examination  of  the  Inlet  commenced  in 
the  Boats.        ,  ;..,      ,    ^^  -_  ,,  ,,■.  _fir^j  .  ■  .  ,,   .,;  ,.-. 

Having  now  satisfactorily  determined  the  non- 
existence of  a  passage  to  the  westward  through  Re- 
pulse  Bay,  to  which  point  I  was  particularly  direct- 
ed in  my  instructions,  it  now  remained  for  me,  in 
compliance  with  my  orders,  to  "  keep  along  the  line 
of  this  coast  to  the  northward,  always  examining 
every  bend  or  inlet  which  might  appear  likely  to 
afford  a  practicable  passage  to  the  westward."  It 
was  here,  indeed,  that  our  voyage,  as  regarded  its 
main  object,  may  be  said  to  have  commenced,  and 
we  could  not  but  congratulate  ourselves  on  having 
reached  this  point  so  early,  and  especially  at  having 
passed,  almost  without  impediment,  the  strait  to 
which,  on  nearly  the  same  day*  seventy -nine  years 
before,  so  forbidding  a  name  had  been  applied. 

*  Middleton  discovered  the  Frozen  Strait  on  the  20th  August, 
1742,  according  to  the  New  Style. 

S3 


J 

:\.'r 

■  i 
j 

■^  k- 

i 

J. 

1 

k] 

1 

f 

J 

4- 


** 


210 


SECOND  VOYAGE   FOR   THE   DISCOVERY 


! 


u'l-  'I 


I.;   ' 


i:     III 


All  sail  was  made  at  daylight  on  the  23d  along 
the  northern  shore  of  the  Frozen  Strait,  which  here 
continues  about  the  same  height  as  that  of  Re- 
pulse Bay,  and  was  at  this  time  quite  free  from 
snow.  At  nine  A.M.  the  weather  became  squally 
with  thick  snow,  which  rendered  great  caution  ne- 
cessary in  running.  There  was  something  in  the 
appearance  of  this  part  of  the  coast  which  held 
out  so  favourable  a  prospect  of  a  direct  passage  to 
the  northward,  that  I  determined  more  closely  to  ex- 
amine it.  Having  beat  up  to  the  mouth  of  an  open- 
ing wliich,  the  nearer  we  approached,  assumed  a 
more  and  more  favourable  appearance,  we  found 
that  a  body  of  ice  occupied  the  greater  part  of  the 
channel,  rendering  it  impracticable  then  to  enter  it 
either  with  the  ships  or  the  boats.  The  only  mode 
left,  therefore,  of  examining  it  without  loss  of  time, 
was  to  despatch  a  party  equipped  for  travelling  by 
land,  to  ascertain  enough  of  its  extent  and  com- 
munications to  enable  me  to  decide  as  to  our  far- 
ther  progress.  As,  however,  in  their  present  sit- 
uation, I  did  not  feel  myself  justified  in  leaving  the 
ships,  I  requested  Captain  Lyon  to  undertake  this 
service.  He  was  accompanied  by  Mr.  Bushnan 
and  two  seamen  from  each  ship,  and  was  furnish, 
ed  with  a  tent,  blankets,  and  four  days'  provisions. 

Captain  Lyon,  on  his  return,  at  the  end  of  two 
days,  reported  that  he  had  landed  on  an  island, 
which  he  called  Bushnan's  Island,  had  then  cross- 
ed a  strait,  to  which  afterward  the  name  of  Hurd's 
Channel  was  given,  and  landed  on  a  steep  point 
called  by  him  Cape  Montagu.  From  hence  his 
party  proceeded  to  a  high  and  remarkable  hill  call- 
ed Brooks's  Blvjf  :  following  tliQ  strait  <  tg  tba 


' 


OT   A.  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


Jill 


along 
ch  here 
of  Re- 
2e  from 
squally 
lion  ne- 
g  in  the 
ch  held 
ssage  to 
ily  to  ex- 
an  open- 
sumed  a 
^e  found 
rt  of  the 
I  enter  it 
ily  mode 
I  of  lime, 
elling  by 
,nd  com- 
our  far- 
3sent  sit- 
iving  the 
take  this 
Bushnan 
I  furnish- 
rovisions, 
id  of  two 
n  island, 
len  cross- 
)f  Hurd's 
;eep  point 
hence  his 
3  hill  call- 
lit  to  tha 


nor^ward,  they  passed  the  remains  of  many  Es- 
quimaux habitations  ;  and,  though  their  short  jour- 
ney  had  been  unsatisfactory  on  account  of  the  bad- 
ness of  the  weather,  there  was  still  sufficient  to 
cause  the  most  lively  interest,  and  give  strong 
hopes  of  the  existence  of  some  passage  to  the 
northeast  of  the  small  inlet  they  had  examined. 

At  eight  P.M.,  having  shoaled  the  water  from 
sixty  to  forty,  and  then  to  thirty-two  fathoms,  and 
the  weather  still  continuing  extremely  thick,  I  sus- 
pected that  the  tide  was  taking  us  too  close  to  Pas- 
sage Island,  which  was  the  nearest  land  when  the 
fog  came  on.  A  large  space  of  open  water  was 
at  this  time  not  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  dis- 
tant from  us  in  the  opposite  direction  ;  but,  before 
the  ships  could  be  moved  by  warps  or  any  other 
means  within  our  power,  the  tide  was  observed  to 
be  setting  her  directly  between  the  island  and  the  lit- 
tle yellow -looking  rock  I  have  before  mentioned  as 
lying  on  its  eastern  side.  The  anchors  were  kept 
ready  to  drop  in  an  instant  should  the  ship  drive 
into  shoal  water ;  had  we  grounded,  and  the  heavy 
masses  of  ice  continued  to  drive  upon  us,  little  less 
than  the  total  destruction  of  the  ship  was  to  be  ap- 
prehended. The  natural  direction  of  the  stream, 
however,  effected  for  us  that  which,  hampered  as 
we  were,  our  own  exertions  must  have  failed  in  ac- 
complishing ;  the  ship  drove  through,  at  the  dis- 
tance  of  one  hundred  yards  from  the  rock  and 
about  one  hundred  and  fojrty  from  Passage  Island, 
having  no  less  than  twelve  fathoms ;  and  soon  after 
deepened  the  water  to  thirty-five  and  forty,  and 
then  to  no  bottom  with  ninety. 

After  this  providential  escape  we  lay-to  within 


.1 


'*'  l,i 


iKii: 


213       SECOND  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 

the  island,  in  order  to  drift  to  the  northward  and 
westward  of  it  with  the  flood  tide,  which  runs 
stronger  here  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  Frozen 
Strait,  The  night  was  fine  but  extremely  dark,  so 
that  after  ten  o'clock  we  could  not  distinguish 
where  the  land  lay,  and  the  compasses  could  not 
be  depended  on.  After  an  ineffectual  attempt  to 
push  through  the  ice  towards  the  middle  of  the 
Strait,  in  order  to  avoid  the  danger  of  being  entan- 
gled  among  the  numerous  islands  lying  off  this 
shore,  we  were  literally  obliged  to  let  the  ship  take 
her  chance,  keeping  the  lead  going  and  the  anchors 
in  readiness. 

The  Hecla  having  got  clear  of  the  ice  the  pre- 
ceding evening,  and  narrowly  escaped  an  adven- 
ture similar  to  that  which  we  had  experienced, 
rejoined  us  early  in  the  morning,  when  Captain 
Lyon  returned  to  her  to  prepare  a  boat  for  his  in- 
tended excursion.  We  then  stood  in  under  all  sail 
for  the  land,  and  at  eleven  A.M.  Captain  Lyon  left 
the  Hecla,  while  the  ships  tacked  off  and  on  to 
await  his  return.  At  nine  P.M.  Captain  Lyon  re- 
turned, acquainting  me  that  he  had  met  with  a 
small  bay  having  no  stream  of  tide,  and  being  at 
present  clear  of  ice,  he  thought  it  might  answer 
our  purpose,  but  he  wished  me  to  see  it  before  the 
ships  were  taken  in. 

A  boat  from  each  ship  being  prepared,  Captain 
Lyon  and  myself  left  the  cove  at  three  P.M.  to 
proceed  on  the  proposed  examination.  We  separ- 
ated at  Point  Cheyne,  Captain  Lyon  having  point- 
ed out  to  me  the  broad  eastern  channel  from  which 
the  tide  appeared  to  come,  and  which  it  was  my 
intention  to  examinci  while  Im  directed  his  atten- 


I 


(i!, : 


•OT  A  nohthwest  passage. 


213 


rd  and 
1  runs 
frozen 
ark,  so 
nguish 
lid  not 
mpt  to 
of  the 
entan- 
►ff  this 
lip  take 
inchors 

he  pre- 
adven- 
•ienced, 
Captain 
his  in- 
all  sail 
yon  left 
i  on  to 
yon  re- 
with  a 
leing  at 
answer 
fore  the 

Captain 
P.M.  to 

e  separ- 
g  point- 
n  which 
was  my 
s  atten- 


tion to  the  smaller  passage  he  had  described  aa 
leading  to  the  northward.  It  was  agreed  that  we 
should  return  to  the  ships  with  as  little  delay  as 
was  consistent  with  the  object  we  had  in  view, 
namely,  to  ascertain  through  which  of  the  two 
channels  it  was  expedient  or  practicable  to  bring 
the  ships. 

The  breeze  moderated  soon  after  our  landing, 
aMd  a  fine  clear  night  succeeded.  At  four  in  the 
morning  Mr.  Ross  a;Hd  *nyself  ascended  the  near- 
est hill,  in  the  hope  of  being  able  to  satisfy  ourselves 
respecting  the  existence  of  a  passage  for  the  ships 
in  at  least  one  direction.  I  therefore  directed  the 
tents  to  be  struck,  and  everything  to  be  in  readiness 
for  moving  on  our  return.  On  reaching  the  sum- 
mit of  the  first  hill,  however,  we  found,  as  is  not  un- 
frequently  the  case,  that  our  view  was  but  little  im- 
proved, and  that  no  prospect  could  be  obtained  to 
the  northward  without  ascending  the  higher  hil4 
seen  the  preceding  evening,  which  we  now  found 
still  several  miles  beyond  us.  While  preparing  for 
this,  I  felt  so  much  indisposed,  that,  being  appre- 
hensive of  laying  myself  up  at  a  time  when  I  could 
least  afford  to  do  so,  1  determined  to  intrust  the 
proposed  service  to  Mr.  Ross,  in  whose  zeal  and 
ability  to  accomplish  it  I  felt  the  utmost  confidence. 
Mr.  Ross  and  his  party  accordingly  set  out  for  the 
hill  at  six  A.M.  On  his  return  in  the  evening  Mr. 
Ross  reported  that,  haying  ^reached  a  commanding 
hill,  he  found  himself  overlooking  a  sea  of  consider- 
able extent  to  the  eastward,  and  washing  the  foot 
of  the  hill  on  which  he  stood.  This  sea  appeared 
to  have  some  islands  scattered  about  it,  and  was 
much  encumbered  with  ice.     To  the  southeast- 


4 


I 


214       SECOND  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


I' 


"I 


ward  there  seemed  to  be  several  openings  between 
islands,  of  which  the  land  we  stood  then  upon  ap. 
peared  to  form  one,  the  sea  sweeping  round  to  the 
northward  and  westward,  as  if  to  join  the  strait 
discovered  by  Captain  Lyon.  Mr.  Ross  described 
the  country  over  which  he  passed  as  much  inter- 
sected by  lakes,  some  of  them  not  less  than  two  or 
three  miles  in  length,  and  having  in  their  neigh- 
bourhood abundance  of  grass,  moss,  and  other  fine 
feeding  for  the  deer.  The  report  of  Mr.  Ross, 
accompanied  by  an  eye-sketch  made  upon  the  spot, 
left  no  doubt  of  the  existence  of  an  outlet  to  the 
eastward,  and  enabled  me  to  decide  without  hesita- 
tion upon  attempting  the  passage  of  the  narrows 
with  the  ships,  leaving  our  subsequent  route  to  be 
determined  on  according  to  the  report  of  Captain 
Lyon.  .  ''  ^  :.    '  ,   ■'  't  : ■  v!,j..»  •• 

Piles  of  stones  and  the  remains  of  Esquimaux 
habitations  were  everywhere  to  be  seen,  and  Mr. 
Ross  met  with  their  marks  even  on  the  highest 
hills ;  but  none  appeared  of  recent  date.  The  rein- 
deer were  here  very  numerous,  Mr,  Ross  saw 
above  fifty  of  them  in  the  course  of  his  walk,  and 
several  others  were  met  with  near  the  tents.  A 
large  one  was  shot  by  one  of  the  men,  who  struck 
the  animal,  as  he  lay  on  the  ground,  a  blow  on  the 
head  with  the  butt  end  of  his  piece,  and,  leaving  him 
for  dead,  ran  towards  the  tents  for  a  knife  to  bleed 
and  skin  him ;  when  the  deer  very  composedly 
got  on  his  legs,  swam  across  a  lake,  and  finally 
escaped.  A  small  fawn  was  the  only  one  killed. 
Three  black  whales  and  a  few  seals  were  playing 
about  near  the  beach. 

Our  people  being  somewhat  fatigued  with  walk 


I 


OF  A  NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


219 


)etween 
pen  ap. 
i  to  the 
e  strait 
ascribed 
li  inter- 
two  or 
neigh- 
her  fine 
'.  Ross, 
he  spot, 
;  to  the 
:  hesita- 
narrows 
te  to  be 
Captain 
»>>■.' 

1 

luimaux 
ind  Mr. 
highest 
'he  rein- 
Qss  saw 
alk,  and 
nts.  A 
o  struck 
V  on  the 
ang  him 
to  bleed 
nposedly 
finally 
e  killed. 
J  playing 

ith  walk 


ing,  were  allowed  to  rest  till  half  past  one  in  the 
morning  of  the  29th,  when,  it  being  high  water,  the 
tents  were  struck  and  the  boat  loaded.  I  found 
that  Captain  Lyon  had  returned  on  board  the  pre- 
ceding evening,  having  accomplished  bis  object  in 
a  shorter  time  than  was  expected. 

That  no  time  might  be  lost  in  running  the  ships 
through  the  narrows,  I  directed  three  boats  from 
each  to  be  prepared,  for  the  purpose  of  sounding 
every  part  of  this  intricate,  and,  as  yet,  unknown 
passage,  which  I  named  after  Captain  Thomas 
HuRD,  of  the  royal  navy,  hydrograpber  to  the  ad- 
miralty. Giving  to  the  officer  commanding  each 
boat  a  certain  portion  to  accomplish,  I  reserved 
for  my  own  examination  the  narrowest  part  of  the 
channel ;  and  at  thirty  minutes  past  one  P.M.,  as 
soon  as  the  fiood  tide  began  to  slacken,  we  left  the 
ships  and  continued  our  work  till  late  at  night, 
when,  having  received  the  reports  of  the  officers, 
and  made  out  a  plan  of  the  channel  for  each  ship, 
I  directed  everything  to  be  in  readiness  for  weigh- 
ing at  the  last  quarter  of  the  ebb  on  the  following 
morning.  Much  as  I  lamented  this  delay,  at  a  pe- 
riod of  the  season  when  every  moment  was  pre- 
cious, it  will  not  appear  to  have  been  unnecessary, 
when  it  is  considered  that  the  channel  through 
which  the  ships  were  to  be  carried  did  not  in  some 
places  exceed  a  mile  in  breadth,  with  half  of  that 
space  encumbered  with  heavy  masses  of  ice,  and 
with  an  ebb  tide  of  six  knots  running  through  it. 

At  fifteen  minutes  past  three  P.M.  on  the  30th, 
a  light  air  of  wind  springing  up  from  the  eastward, 
we  weighed,  and,  having  warped  out  by  kedges  till 
we  had  cleared  the  shoal-point  of  the  cove,  made 


;if ;: 


^j;ns,i 


^ 


i 


„   Mi 


i  •■■ 

1 

i 

) 

1 
I 

■ 

-% 


21Q        SECOND  VOYAGE  FOE  THE  DISCOVERY 

flail  for  the  channel,  and,  with  the  assistance  of  the 
boats,  got  the  Fury  info  the  fair  set  of  the  tide  be- 
fore  it  made  very  strong  to  the  eastward*.  At  a 
quarter  before  seven,  when  in  the  narrowest  part, 
which  is  abreast  of  a  bokl  headland  on  the  south 
shore,  where  the  tide  was  now  driving  the  ice  along 
at  the  rate  of  five  or  six  knots,  the  wind  came  in  a 
sudden  gust  from  the  southwest,  scarcely  allowing 
us  to  reduce  and  trim  our  sails  in  time  to  keep  the 
ship  off  the  north  shore,  which  is  not  so  safe  as 
the  other.  By  carrying  a  heavy  press  of  canvass, 
however,  we  succeeded  in  forcing  through  the  ice, 
but  the  Fury  was  twice  turned  completely  round  by 
eddies,  and  her  sails  brought  aback  against  the 
helm*;  in  consequence  of  which  she  gathered  such 
fresh  sternway  against  several  heavy  floe-pieces, 
that  I  apprehended  some  serious  injury  to  the  stern- 
post  and  rudder^,  if  not>  to  the  whole  frame  of  the 
ship.  The  Hecla  got  through  the  narrows  soon 
after  us ;  but  Captain  Lyon,  wishing  ta  bring,  away 
the  flags  and  staves  set  up  as  marks,  had  sent  his 
little  boat  away  for  that  purpose  during  the  con- 
tinuance  of  the  calm  weather.  When  the  breeze 
suddenly  came  on  she  was  still  absent,  and,  being 
obliged  to  wait  lor  some  time  to  pick  her  up,  the 
Hecla  was  about  dusk  separated  several  miles  from 
us. 

I  was  sorry  to- perceive,  cm  the  morning  of  the  1st 
of  September,  that  the  appearance  of  the  ice  was 
by  no  means  favourable  to  our  object  of  sailing  to 
the  northward,  along  the  Sti^r^cv.  Bourne  Islands ; 
but  at  ten  A.M.,  the  edge  being  rather  more  slack, 
we  made  all  sail,  with  a  very  light  air  of  southerly 
wind,  and  the  weather  clear,  warm,  and  pleasant. 


n 


"If-'' 


OF   A   NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


217 


e  of  the 
tide  be- 
^    At  a 
>st  part, 
[le  south 
[;e  along 
Line  in  a 
allowing 
keep  the 
safe  agi 
canvass, 
the  ice, 
round  by 
linst  the 
ired  such 
le-pieces, 
:he  stern- 
le  oi  the 
)ws  soon 
ingaway 
Bent  his 
the  con- 
le  breeze 
d,  being 
r  up,  the 
iles  from 

lof  the  1st 
ice  was 
liling  to 
Islands ; 

tre  slack, 
joutherly 

Ipleasant* 


We  were  at  noon  in  lat.  66°  03'  35",  and  in  long. 
83°  33'  15",  in  which  situation  a  great  deal  of  land 
was  in  sight  to  the  northward,  though  apparently 
much  broken  in  some  places.  .  From  N.E.  round 
to  S.S.E.  there  was  still  nothing  to  be  seen  but 
one  wide  sea  uninterruptedly  covered  with  ice  as 
far  as  the  eye  could  reach. 

At  forty-five  minutes  past  one  P.M.  we  had 
come  to  the*  end  of  the  clear  water,  and  prepared 
to  shorten  sail,  to  await  some  alteration  in  our  fa- 
vour. At  this  time  the  weather  was  so  warm  that 
we  had  just  exposed  a  thermometer  to  the  sun 
to  ascertain  the  temperature  of  its  rays,  which 
could  not  have  been  less  than  70°  or  80°,  when  a 
thick  fog,  which  had  for  some  hours  been  curling 
over  the  hills  of  Vansittart  Island,  suddenly  came 
on,  creating  so  immediate  and  extreme  a  change, 
that  I  do  not  remember  to  have  ever  experienced  a 
more  chilling  sensation.  As  we  could  no  longer 
see  a  hundred  yards  around  us  in  any  direction, 
nothing  was  to  be  done  but  to  make  the  ships  fast 
to  the  largest  piece  of  ice  we  could  find,  which  we 
accordingly  did  at  two  P.M.,  in  one  hundred  and 
fifly-eight  fathoms.  Just  before  dark  the  fog  clear- 
ed away  for  a  few  minutes,  when,  perceiving  that 
the  wind,  which  was  now  increasing,  was  likely  to 
drifl  us  too  near  the  islands,  we  took  advantage  of 
the  clear  interval  to  run  a  mile  farther  from  the 
land  for  the  night,  where  we  again  made  fast  to  a 
large  floe-piece  in  two  hundred  fathoms. 

The  wind,  drawing  round  to  the  northward  and 
westward,  on  the  morning  of  the  2d,  increased  to 
a  fresh  gale,  which  continued  to  blow  during  the 
night,  notwithstanding  which,  I  was  in  hopes  that 

Vol.  I.— T 


■'%'■ 


* 


iiff 


i 

■    : 


;h 


1  ■■ 


*   \ 


?■;!'.  I 


iip: 


3!  Ml 


',;il 


"iH  Hi 


;:i'' 


Hli::Ml! 


11'" 


'' '      1  f 

'  1  r 
^:    Li 

'  1  !''' 

liii 

ff 


218 


SECOND  TOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERT 


the  immense  size  of  the  floe  to  which  the  ships 
were  attached  would  enable  us  to  retain  our  sta- 
tion  tolerably.  It  was  mortifying,  therefore,  to  find^ 
on  the  morning  of  the  2d,  tliat  we  had  drifted  more 
than  I  remember  ever  to  have  done  before  in  the 
same  time  under  any  circumstances.  It  was  re- 
markable, also,  that  we  had  not  been  set  exactly  to 
leeward,  but  past  Baffin  Island  towards  two  re- 
markable hills  on  Southampton  lsland,*from  which 
we  were  at  noon  not  more  than  seven  or  eight 
leagues  distant.  Thus,  after  a  laborious  investi* 
gation  which  occupied  one  month,  we  had,  by  a 
concurrence  of  unavoidable  circumstances,  return- 
ed to  nearly  the  same  spot  on  which  we  had  been 
on  the  6th  of  August.  To  consider  what  might 
have  been  effected  in  this  interval,  which  inclu- 
ded the  very  best  part  of  the  navigable  season,  had 
we  been  previously  aware  of  the  position  and  ex- 
tent of  the  American  Continent  about  this  merid. 
ian,  is  in  itself  certainly  unavailing;  but  it  may 
serve  to  show  the  value  of  even  the  smallest  geo- 
graphical information  in  seas  where  not  an  hour 
must  be  thrown  away  or  unprofitably  employed. 

In  the  afternoon  an  attempt  was  made  to  move, 
for  the  mere  sake,  it  must  be  confessed,  of  moving 
and  keeping  the  people  on  the  alert,  rather  than 
with  the  slightest  prospect  of  gaining  any  ground  ; 
but,  by  the  time  that  we  had  laid  out  the  hawsers, 
the  small  hole  of  water  that  had  appeared  again 
closed,  and  we  were  obliged  to  remain  as  before. 

At  four  A.M.  on  the  5th^  we  east  off  and  made 
sail  for  the  land,  with  a  fresh  breeze  from  the  south- 
east. The  ice  was  closely  packed  against  the  land 
near  the  passage  I  had  intended  to  try,  and  as  it  ap- 


OF   A   NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


219 


5  ships 
iir  sta- 
to  findy 
dmore 
in  the 
vas  re- 
3ictly  to 
;wo  re- 
1  which 
>r  eight 
investi- 
d,  by  a 
,  return- 
ad  been 
X  might 
h  inclu- 
son,  had 
and  ex- 
merid- 
it  may 
est  geo- 
an  hour 
oyed. 
o  move, 
moving 
ler  than 
ground ; 
lawsers, 
id  again 
before, 
id  made 
le  south- 
the  land 
as  it  ap- 


peared slack  to  the  eastward,  I  determined  to  run 
between  the  southeast  point  of  Baffin  Island  and 
the  smaller  islands  lying  off  it.  The  wind  drawing 
more  to  the  eastward  as  we  approached  the  chan- 
nel, we  had  several  tacks  to  make  in  getting 
through,  but  carried  a  good  depth  of  water  on  each 
side,  though  its  breadth  does  not  exceed  three  quar- 
ters of  a  mile.  As  we  now  advanced  to  the  north- 
ward, we  found  less  and  less  obstruction,  the  main 
body  of  the  ice  having  been  carried  to  the  south- 
ward and  eastward  by  the  late  gale,  which  had  in 
so  extraordinary  a  manner  drifted  us  in  the  same 
direction.  This  was  one  of  the  opportunities  I 
have  before  described  as  the  most  favourable  that 
ever  occur  for  making  progress  in  these  seas. 
We  had,  therefore,  a  fine  run  during  the  day  along 
the  east  side  of  Sturges  Bourne  Islands  ;  for,  hav- 
ing found  the  passages  between  them  still  choked 
with  ice,  we  were  obliged  to  run  to  the  northward 
with  the  hope  of  attaining  our  present  object,  till  it 
was  time  to  look  out  for  an  achorage.  Having 
first  sent  the  boats  to  sound,  we  hauled  into  a  small 
bay,  where  we  anchored  at  dusk  in  seventeen  fath- 
oms,  good  holding-ground,  though  the  bottom  was 
so  irregular  that  we  had  from  five  to  thirteen  close 
upon  our  quarter.  -  ^ 

We  had  now  once  more  approached  a  part  of 
the  coast,  of  which  the  thorough  and  satisfactory 
examination  could  not  possibly  be  carried  on  in  the 
ships,  without  incurring  constant  and,  perhaps,  use- 
less risk,  and  a  certain  and  serious  loss  of  time« 
I  determined,  therefore,  to  proceed  at  once  upon 
this  service  in  two  boats,  one  fkom  each  ship. 
Having  communicated  my  intentions  to  Captain 


s» 


*  t  \ 


■  ■(. 


•«■. 


!«■■ 


^'    'a 


"i 


•JP' 


220 


SECOND   VOYAGE   FOR   THE   DISCOVERY 


Lyon,  and  requested  him  to  move  the  ships,  when 
practicable,  into  some  more  secure  situation,  I  left 
the  Fury,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Ross  and  Mr.  She- 
rer,  taking  with  us  our  tents,  blankets,  and  stove^ 
together  with  four  days'  provisions  and  fuel. 


J' :  I 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Hoppner's  Inlet  entered  and  surveyed  by  the  Boats.— Continuity 
of  Land  there  determined. — Proceed  to  ej:amine  another  Open- 
ing leading  to  the  Westward. — Favouarble  Appearance  of  a 
continued  Passage  in  that  direction. — Meet  with  some  Esqui- 
maux.— Arrival  in  Ross  Bay,  being  the  termination  of  Lyon 
Inlet. — Discovery  "and  Examination  of  various  Creeks. — Re- 
turn to  the  Ships,  after  finding  the  Land  entirelv  continuous. — 
Some  Account  of  the  Natural  History  of  this  part  of  the 
Coast. 

A  THICK  fog  unfortunately  coming  on  just  before 
"we  left  the  ships, prevented  us  from  making  choice 
of  any  part  of  the  land  which  might  be  the  most 
likely  to  afford  a  passage  to  the  northward  and 
i  westward.  We  could  only,  therefore,  direct  our 
course  northerly,  with  tolerable  certainty,  by  a  com- 
pass-bearing  previously  taken  on  board,  and  by  oc- 
casionally obtaining  an  indistinct  glimpse  of  the 
land  through  the  fog.  Having  rowed  four  miles, 
we  came  to  a  high  point,  round  which  we  turned 
rather  to  the  westward,  and  then  landed  a  little  be- 
yond it. 

The  tents  were  struck  at  thirty  minutes  past  three 
A.M.  on  the  7th  and  our  course  directed  up  the 


'ii:i'i 


OP  A  NORTHWES  :   PaSSA    E. 


221 


,  when 

,  I  left 

r.  She- 

slove, 


:3ontinuity 
her  Open- 
■ance  of  a 
me  Esqui- 
n  of  Lyon 
jeks.— Re- 
tinuous. — 
art  of  the 


St  before 
y  choice 
he  most 
mrd  and 
rect  our 
)y  a  com- 
nd  by  oc- 
e  of  the 
ur  miles, 
e  turned 
little  be- 

)ast  three 
}d  up  the 


inlet,  the  weather  being  calm  and  toleraoU  clear. 
At  three  miles  and  a  quarter  we  passed  on  ir  star- 
board hand  a  point  of  land,  which,  from  the  bright 
colour  of  the  rocks,  composed  chiefly  of  feldspar* 
obtained  the  name  of  Red  Point, 

Opposite  to  Red  Point  was  a  small  opening,  which 
we  next  proposed  to  examine.  We  had  not,  how- 
ever, advanced  a  mile  within  the  entrance  when 
the  boats  grounded,  the  water  becoming  more  and 
more  shoal  within.  As  it  was  plain  that  no  pas- 
sage  could  here  be  found  for  the  ships,  which  alone 
it  was  my  present  object  to  discover,  I  did  not 
choose  to  wait  for  the  flowing  of  the  tide  to  enable 
us  farther  to  explore  this  place,  but  determined  to 
prosecute  our  examination  of  the  other  parts  of  the 
coast  without  delay.  There  were  here  a  great  num. 
her  of  stones  placed  in  an  upright  position  in  every 
conspicuous  spot,  many  of  them  looking  like  men 
at  a  distance.  These  marks  are  generally  placed 
without  regard  to  regularity,  but  there  were  here 
several  lines  of  them  about  fifty  yards  in  length,  the 
stones  being  four  or  five  yards  apart,  and  each  hav- 
ing  a  smaller  one  placed  on  its  top.  Having  row- 
ed out  of  the  inlet,  we  landed  at  six  P.M.  in  a  little 
bay  just  outside  of  the  last  night's  sleeping-place, 
pitching  the  tents  on  a  fine  shingly  beach,  which 
was  the  kind  of  ground  we  usually  looked  out  for 
towards  the  conclusion  of  the  day,  as  affording  the 
softest  bed,  consistently  with  dryness,  that  nature 
supplies  in  this  country.  Of  such  a  convenience 
the  men  were  not  sorry  to  avail  themselves,  having 
rowed  above  thirty  miles  since  the  morning. 

The  boats  were  launched  at  daylight  on  the  8th, 
and  we  soon  came  to  a  much  more  promising  open* 

T  2 


^ 


m 


'I'd 


'M.  i 


w 

\'Ji 


i:. 


i;i 


'',1::' 


:"|l  III 

,!■   .ill 


'3i  ;:! 


lijiiili 

ill    III'! 


i     'III  I 

m 


<'  '  '4  ■■'.:■ 


m 


i 


jllI 

t 


IN 


Hi 


i;:„ 


i<» 


III 

l'':iil 


iiyi 


!  h 


222       SECOND  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 

V 

ing  on  the  satne  shore,  about  tt  mile  wide  at  the 
entrance,  and  leading  directly  to  the  westward. 
After  rowing  four  miles  in  that  direction,  we  arrived 
at  the  mouth  of  a  bay  from  three  to  five  miles  wide, 
out  of  which  there  did  not  appear  the  least  chance 
of  discovering  an  outlet.  As  nothing,  however, 
but  rowing  round  the  bay  would  satisfactorily  de- 
termine this,  we  were  proceeding  to  do  so,  when 
we  observed  in  the  northern  corner  something  like 
a  low  point  overlapping  the  high  land  at  the  back. 
Towards  this  spot  we  steered,  as  the  readiest  way 
of  completing  the  circuit  of  the  bay,  and  half  a 
mile  short  of  it  landed  to  breakfast. 

In  the  mean  time  I  sent  Mr.  Ross  to  one  hill,  and 
ascended  another  myself,  expecting  to  save  the 
time  and  trouble  of  rowing  into  the  nook.  I  was 
not  a  little  astonished  to  find,  from  my  own  and  Mr. 
Ross's  observations,  that  there  was  on  the  other 
side  of  the  point  a  broad  and  apparently  navigable 
channel,  through  which  the  tide  was  setting  to  the 
northward,  at  the  rate  of  three  or  four  miles  an 
hour.  I  am  thus  minute  in  the  discovery  of  this 
channel,  which  afterward  promised  to  be  of  no  small 
importance,  to  show  how  nearly  such  a  place  may 
be  approached  without  the  slightest  suspicion  being 
entertained  of  its  existence,  and  the  consequent  ne- 
cessity of  close  examination  wherever  a  passage 
is  to  be'sought  for. 

We  continued  our  examination,  and  I  despatched 
Mr.  Sherer  to  the  ships  for  a  fresh  supply  of  pro- 
visions.  On  his  return  on  the  10th  we  proceeded 
to  the  westward.  In  running  along  the  coast  with 
a  fresh  and  favourable  breeze,  we  observed  three 
persons  standing  on  a  hill,  and,  as  we  continued  our 


"  * 


OP   A   NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


223 


at  the 
itward. 
arrived 
IS  wide, 
chance 
)wever, 
rily  de- 
),  when 
ing  like 
e  back, 
est  way 
half  a 

hill,  and 
ive   the 
I  was 
and  Mr. 
le  other 
avigable 
g  to  the 
niles  an 
■f  of  this 
no  small 
ace  may 
on  being 
[[uent  ne- 
passage 

spatched 
f  of  pro- 
roceeded 
oast  with 
ed  three 
nuedour 


course,  they  followed  us  at  full  speed  along  the 
rocks.  Having  sailed  into  a  small  sheltered  bay,  I 
went  up,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Bushnan,  to  meet 
them  on  the  bills  above  us.  In  sailing  along  the 
shore  we  had  heard  them  call  out  loudly  to  us,  and 
observed  them  frequently  lift  something  which  they 
held  in  their  hands ;  but,  on  coming  up  to  them,  they 
remained  so  perfectly  mute  and  motionless,  that, 
accustomed  as  we  had  been  to  the  noisy  importu- 
nities of  their  more  sophisticated  brethren,  we  could 
scarcely  believe  them  to  be  Esquimaux.  There 
was,  besides,  a  degree  of  lankness  in  the  faces  of  the 
two  men,  the  very  reverse  of  the  plump,  round,  oily 
cheeks  of  those  we  had  before  seen.  Their  coun- 
tenances at  the  time  impressed  me  with  the  idea 
of  Indian  rather  than  of  Esquimaux  features  ;  but 
this  variety  of  physiognomy  we  afterward  found 
not  to  be  uncommon  among  these  people.  The  men 
appeared  about  forty  and  twenty-two  years  of  age, 
and  were  accompanied  by  a  good-looking  and  good- 
humoured  boy  of  nine  or  ten.  They  each  held  in 
their  hand  a  sealskin  case  or  quiver,  containing  a 
bow  and  three  or  four  arrows,  with  a  set  of  which 
they  willingly  parted,  on  being  presented  with  a 
knife  in  exchange.  The  first  looks  with  which  they 
received  us  betrayed  a  mixture  of  stupidity  and  ap- 
prehension, but  both  wore  off  in  a  few  minutes  on 
our  making  them  understand  that  we  wished  to  go 
to  their  habitations.  With  this  request  they  com- 
plied without  hesitation,  tripping  along  before  us  for 
above  two  miles  over  very  rough  ground,  and  cross- 
ing one  or  two  considerable  streams  running  from 
a  lake  into  the  sea.  This  they  performed  with  so 
much  quickness  that  we  could  with  difficulty  keep 


i 


1 

i 


■   i 

1! 

1  ■      11 

! 

1        1 

*,i         J     fl 

224       SECOND   VOYAGE   FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


.  Ill  I  111  ^ 


up  with  them,  though  they  good-naturedly  stopped 
now  and  then  till  we  overtook  them.  We  were 
met  on  our  way  by  two  women,  from  twenty  to 
twenty.five  years  of  age,  having  each  a  child  at  her 
back ;  they  too  accompanied  us  to  their  tent,  which 
was  situated  on  a  high  part  of  the  coast  overlook- 
ing the  sea.  It  consisted  of  a  rude  circular  wall 
of  loose  stones,  from  six  to  eight  feet  in  diameter 
and  three  in  height,  in  the  centre  of  which  stood 
an  upright  pole,  made  of  several  pieces  of  fir-wood 
lashed  together  by  thongs,  and  serving  as  a  support 
to  the  deerskins  that  formed  the  top  covering. 
Soon  after  our  arrival  we  were  joined  by  a  good* 
looking,  modest  girl  of  about  eight,  and  a  boy  five 
years  old.  Of  these  nine  persons,  which  were  all 
we  now  saw,  only  the  elder  man  and  two  of  the 
children  belonged  to  this  tent,  the  habitations  of  the 
others  being  a  little  more  inland.  The  faces  of  the 
women  were  round,  plump,  tattoed,  and,  in  short, 
completely  Esquimaux.  The  kayak  or  canoe  be- 
longing to  this  establishment  was  carefully  laid  on 
the  rocks  close  to  the  seaside,  with  the  paddle  and 
the  man's  mittens  in  readiness  beside  it.  The  tim- 
bers  were  entirely  of  wood,  and  covered,  as  usual, 
with  sealskin.  Its  length  was  nineteen  feet  seven 
inches,  and  its  extreme  breadth  two  feet ;  it  was 
raised  a  little  at  each  end,  and  the  rim  or  gunwale 
of  the  circular  hole  in  the  middle  was  high,  and 
made  of  whalebone.  A  handsome  sealskin  was 
smoothly  laid  within  as  a  seat,  and  the  whole  was 
sewn  and  put  together  with  great  neatness.  The 
paddle  was  double,  made  of  fir,  and  the  ends  of  the 
blades  tipped  with  bone,  to  prevent  splitting. 
.  The  fireplace  in  the  tent  consisted  of  three  rough 


;opped 
were 
nty  to 
at  her 
which 
jrlook- 
ir  wall 
Bimeter 
\  stood 
r-wood 
mpport 
vering. 
I  good- 
)oy  five 
^ere  all 
of  the 
3  of  the 
of  the 
short, 
loe  be- 
aid  on 
le  and 
le  tim- 
usual, 
seven 
it  was 
unwale 
Th,  and 
in  was 
ole  was 
The 
sof  the 

le  rough 


OF   A   NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


226 


Stones  carelessly  placed  on  end  against  one  side, 
and  they  had  several  pots  of  lapis  ollaris  for  culi- 
nary purposes.  These  people  seemed  to  us  alto- 
gether more  cleanly  than  any  Esquimaux  we  had 
before  seen,  both  in  their  persons  and  in  the  interior 
of  their  tent,  in  neither  of  which  could  we  discov- 
er much  of  that  rancid  and  pungent  smell  which 
is  in  general  so  offensive  to  Europeans.  One  in- 
stance  of  their  cleanliness  which  now  occurred, 
deserves,  perhaps,  to  be  noticed,  both  because  this 
is  justly  considered  rather  a  rare  quality  among 
Esquimaux,  as  well  as  to  show  in  what  way  they 
do  sometimes  exercise  it.  When  leaving  the  tent 
to  return  to  our  boats,  I  desired  one  of  the  seamen 
to  tie  the  articles  we  had  purchased  into  a  single 
bundle,  for  the  convenience  of  carrying  them ;  but 
the  elder  of  the  two  male  Esquimaux,  who  watched 
the  man  thus  employed,  would  not  permit  it  to  be 
done  without  excluding  a  pot,  which,  as  he  explain- 
ed by  wiping  the  lampblack  off  with  one  of  his 
fingers,  would  soil  a  clean  sealskin  jacket  that  form- 
ed part  of  the  bundle.  * 

Among  the  few  domestic  utensils  we  saw  in  the 
tent  was  the  woman's  knife  of  the  Greenlanders 
described  by  Crantz,  and  resembling,  in  its  semi- 
circular  shape,  that  used  by  shoemakers  in  England. 
The  most  interesting  article,  however,  was  a  kind 
of  bowl,  exactly  similar  to  that  obtained  by  Captain 
Lyon  from  the  natives  of  Hudson's  Strait,  being 
hollowed  out  of  the  root  of  the  musk-ox's  horn. 
As  soon  as  I  took  the  cup  in  my  hand,  the  boy  who 
was  our  first  companion,  and  had  since  been  our 
constant  attendant,  pronounced  the  word  ooming* 
mukf  thus  affording  an  additional  confirmation  to 


•  n     ': 


I 


'> 


226        SECOND   VOYAGE   FOR   THE   DISCOVERY 


•,     i; 


n 


that  obtained  on  the  former  voyage,  of  the  musk- 
ox  being  the  animal  described  by  the  natives  of  the 
west  coast  of  Greenland  as  having  occasionally, 
though  rarely,  been  seen  in  that  country. 

As  soon  as  the  Esquimaux  became  a  Httle  more 
familiar  with  us,  they  repeatedly  asked  for  sowik 
(iron),  in  answer  to  which  we  gave  them  to  under- 
stand that  they  must  accompany  us  to  our  boats  if 
they  wished  to  obtain  any  of  this  precious  article. 
Accordingly,  the  whole  group  set  off  with  us  on  our 
return,  the  males  keeping  up  with  us,  and  the  women 
a  short  distance  behind.  The  whole  of  the  children 
carried  bundles  of  the  branches  of  ground  willow, 
which  we  had  just  before  seen  them  bring  in  for 
their  own  use,  and  which  they  seemed  to  consider 
an  article  of  barter  that  might  be  acceptable  to  us. 
As  we  returned  I  noticed  a  quantity  of  the  ledum 
paluslrCf  and,  having  plucked  some  of  it,  gave  it  to 
the  boy  to  carry ;  after  which,  though  he  very  much 
disliked  its  smell,  he  gathered  every  root  of  it  that 
we  came  to,  and  deposited  it  at  our  tents.  This 
lad  was  uncommonly  quick  and  clever  in  compre- 
hending our  meaning,  and  seemed  to  possess  a  de- 
gree of  good-humour  and  docility  which,  on  our 
short  acquaintance,  made  him  a  great  favourite 
among  us. 

We  had  hitherto  been  much  pleased  with  our 
new  acquaintance,  who  were  certainly  a  good-hu- 
moured, decent  sort  of  people.  We  therefore  load- 
ed them  with  presents,  and  endeavoured  to  amuse 
them  by  showing  them  the  manner  of  rowing  our 
boats,  which  were  hauled  up  on  the  beach.  While 
the  men  and  children  were  occupied  in  observing 
this,  the  women  were  no  less  busily  employed,  near 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


227 


musk. 
1  of  the 

onally, 

e  more 
:  sowik 
under- 
>oats  if 
article. 
1  on  our 
women 
children 
willow, 
5  in  for 
consider 
ie  to  us. 
e  ledum 

ve  it  to 
y  much 

it  that 
This 
compre- 
ss a  de- 

on  our 
avourite 

vith  our 
rood-hu- 
)re  load- 
0  amuse 
ing  our 
While 
sserving 
ed,  near 


the  tents,  in  pilfering  and  conveying  into  their  boots 
some  of  our  cups,  spoons,  and  other  small  articles, 
such  as  they  could  conveniently  secrete.  This 
they  accomplished  with  so  much  dexterity,  that  no 
suspicion  would  have  been  excited  of  their  dishon- 
esty had  not  Mr,  Sherer  fortunately  missed  a  cup 
which  was  required  for  supper.  A  general  search 
being  instituted  in  consequence,  and  the  cargo  of 
the  women's  boots  brought  back  to  our  tents,  I  di- 
rected  all  our  presents  to  be  likewise  taken  from 
the  two  offenders ;  and,  dismissing  the  whole  party 
with  great  appearance  of  indignation,  thus  put  an 
end,  for  the  present,  to  our  communication  with 
these  people. 

We  spent  the  two  next  days  in  exploring  a  creek 
which  we  called  Culgruff,  and  another  on  the  op- 
posite or  eastern  shore,  which  received  the  name 
of  Norman's  Creek,  and  returned  to  the  Hecla  on 
the  evening  of  the  14th. 

I  learned  from  Captain  Lyon  that  the  Hecla  had 
just  anchored  at  her  present  station,  the  Fury  still 
remaining  at  the  former  place,  into  which  the  ice 
had  lately  come  so  thick  as  to  require  the  assistance 
of  all  hands  from  both  ships  to  warp  and  tow  the 
Hecla  out.  Proceeding  with  a  fresh  boat's  crew 
towards  the  Fury,  which  we  found  close  beset  by 
thick  and  heavy  ice,  we  succeeded,  after  much  diffi- 
culty, in  hauling  the  boat  through  it,  and  arrived 
on  board  at  ten  P.M. 

As  soon  as  the  tide  would  serve  in  the  offing 
on  the  morning  of  the  15th,  we  weighed,  and,  by 
means  of  warping  and  towing,  in  which  we  were 
assisted  by  Captain  Lyon's  boats,  succeeded  in 
joining  the  Hecla  at  her  anchorage  at  three  P.M. 


i^t  . 


,v  ■   1 


i 


228 


SECOND  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


CHAPTER  V. 


'\  !r 


Farther  Examination  in  the  Boats  for  the  purpose  of  Connecting 
the  shores  of  Lyon  Inlet  with  that  of  Gore  Bay.— Continuity 
of  the  Land  determined.-— Fresh  Detention  by  the  Ice.— Boats 
carried  over  Land. — Return  to  the  Ships. — Progress  out  of  the 
Inlet  prevented  by  the  ice. — The  Fury  grounds  upon  a  Rock. 
— Anchor  in  Safety  Cove.— Heavy  Easterly  gales. — Proceed 
out  of  the  Inlet.— Arrival  in  a  Bay  on  the  south  side  of  Winter 
Island.— Ships  secured  in  Winter-quarters. 

Again  leaving  the  ships  on  the  15th,  we  rowed 
before  sunset  between  six  and  seven  miles  along 
the  high  southwestern  land,  passing  what  appeared 
a  small  harbour,  with  an  island  near  the  middle  of 
the  entrance,  and  landed  on  a  shingly  beach  near  a 
small  bay  or  creek,  extending  three  quarters  of  a 
mile  to  the  W.N.W.,  and  then  terminating  in  a 
deep  broad  valley.  We  left  the  shore  at  half  past 
four  A.M.  on  the  16th,  and  in  an  hour's  sailing, 
with  a  fresh  northwest  wind,  came  to  some  loose 
ice,  through  which  we  continued  to  make  our 
way  till  eleven  o'clock,  when  it  became  so  close 
that  a  passage  could  no  longer  be  found  in  any  di- 
rection. There  was  also  so  much  young  ice  in 
every  small  interval  between  the  loose  masses,  that 
the  boats  were  much  cut  about  the  water-line  in 
endeavouring  to  force  through  it.  In  order,  there- 
fore, to  avoid  the  risk  of  being  altogether  driven 
from  the  shore,  I  determined  to  attempt  a  passage 
into  the  bay,  which  was  three  quarters  of  a  mile 
distant ;  and  in  this,  after  two  hours'  labour,  we  at 
length  succeeded.     Finding  that  the  ice  was  likely 


•:  'if  ^  l 


)nnecting 
ontinuity 
9. — Boats 
out  of  the 
n  a  Rock. 
-Proceed 
of  Winter 


e  rowed 
3s  along 
ippearea 
niddle  of 
jh  near  a 
ers  of  a 
ing  in  a 
half  past 
sailing, 
ne  loose 
lake  our 
so  close 
1  any  di- 
g  ice  in 
sses,  that 
;r-line  in 
er,  there- 
r  driven 
passage 
of  a  mile 
lur,  we  at 
vas  likely 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


229 


to  prove  an  obstacle  of  which  we  could  not  calcu- 
late the  extent  or  continuance,  we  began  at  once 
to  reduce  our  daily  expenditure  of  provisions,  in 
order  to  meet  any  contingency. 

Ascending  the  hill  at  daylight  on  the  17th,  we 
were  much  disappointed  in  finding  that,  though  the 
ice  continued  to  drive  a  little  to  the  S.E.,  it  was 
even  more  compact  than  before,  the  loose  masses 
through  which  we  had  sailed  the  preceding  day  be- 
ing now  closely  set  together. 

As  soon  as  it  was  light  enough  on  the  18th  to 
make  out  the  situation  of  the  ice,  which  had  now 
drifted  considerably  to  the  southward,  we  left  the 
bay  with  a  fresh  and  favourable  breeze,  and  at  a 
quarter  past  eight  A.M.,  after  a  quick  run  through 
**  sailing  ice,"  landed  to  breakfast  on  the  southeant 
point  of  this  shore,  which  afterward  received  the 
name  Cape  Martineau.  Proceeding  from  hence 
with  a  strong  breeze  and  a  considerable  sea  ahead, 
but  the  flood  tide  still  running  slowly  with  us  to 
the  N.W.,  wc  rowed  several  miles  close  along  the 
shore,  and  entered  at  dusk  a  little  cove,  where  the 
tents  were  pitched  and  the  boats  moored  for  the 
night. 

The  night  being  cold,  clear,  and  nearly  calm,  a 
quantity  of  "  bay-ice,"  half  an  inch  in  thickness, 
had,  on  the  morning  of  the  19th,  formed  in  the 
cove,  and  for  some  distance  outside  of  it,  which 
again  cut  the  boats'  planks  very  much,  besides  oc- 
casioning great  loss  of  time  in  getting  through  it. 
This  symptom  of  approaching  winter,  which  had 
now  for  the  first  time  occurred  to  us,  rendered  it 
expedient  in  future  to  select  the  most  open  beach- 
es for  our  resting-places  at^  night.     After  tracing 

Vol.  L— U 


¥1 


^ 


n 


d30 


SECOND  VOYAGE  FOH  THE  DISCOVERT 


t    i 


every  bend  of  the  shore  which  here  occurred, 
we  landed  at  the  point  called  by  Captain  Lyon 
Point  Farhill,  and,  ascending  the  hill  to  take  an- 
gles, obtained  a  view  of  Gore  Bay,  easily  recogni. 
sing  every  other  feature  of  the  lands  discovered 
by  Captain  Lyon.  A  mile  or  two  of  coast  was 
now  all  that  remained  to  be  examined,  in  order  to 
determine  the  connexion  of  Gore  Bay  with  the 
rest  of  the  land  recently  explored.  Proceeding, 
therefore,  as  soon  as  our  observations  were  fin. 
ished,  we  soon  after  entered  the  bay,  and  in  the 
course  of  an  hour  had  satisfied  ourselves  on  this 
point. 

The  ice  remained  closely  packed  on  the  21st,  as 
far  as  we  could  see  along  shore,  so  that  we  were 
still  detained  in  the  same  place.  Some  snow  which 
fell  in  the  course  of  the  preceding  night,  lightly 
powdering  the  land,  had  entirely  disappeared  be- 
fore evening,  except  in  places  having  a  northern 
aspect,  where  it  now  permanently  remained  for 
the  winter. 

On  the  morning  of  the  22d  the  ice  was  not  only 
as  close  as  ever,  but  had  forced  its  way  much  high- 
er up  towards  Gore  Bay.  A  party  was  therefore 
sent  out  to  endeavour  to  procure  game  farther  in- 
land ;  and  another  employed  in  gathering  ground- 
willow,  which  was  here  abundant  and  in  good  con- 
dition for  fuel.  Two  bears,  a  female  and  her  cub, 
being  propably  attracted  by  the  smell  of  our  cook- 
ing, came  towards  the  tents  upon  the  ice,  but,  upon 
hearing  our  voices,  set  off  in  the  opposite  direc- 
tion. A  good  deal  of  snow  fell  in  partial  showers 
in  the  course  of  the  day ;  it  was  nearly  of  that  fine 
kind  which  usually  falls  during  the  winter  of  these 


curred, 
L  Lyon 
ike  an- 
ecognU 
covered 
ast  was 
)rdcr  to 
dth  the 
needing, 
ere  fin- 
i  in  the 
on  this 

21  St,  as 
we  were 
w  which 
:,  lightly 
ared  be- 
northern 
lined  for 

not  only 
ich  high- 
therefore 
rther  in- 

ground- 
rood  con- 

her  cub, 
Dur  cook- 
but,  upon 
te  direc- 

showers 
'  that  fine 

of  these 


/ 


OP  A   NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


231 


regions,  but  we  had  flake  snow  and  even  light  rain 
some  days  after  this.  The  snow,  however,  now 
remained  undissolved  upon  the  land  in  all  situa- 
tions. Our  hunting  party  returned  late  in  the 
evening  without  success,  having  merely  seen  a 
number  of  reindeer,  which  the  want  of  cover  pre- 
vented their  approaching.  Seven  days  out  of  the 
nine  for  which  we  were  victualled  having  now 
elapsed,  a  party  was  selected  for  walking  over  to 
the  ships  on  the  following  day,  should  the  ice  still 
continue  in  its  present  state. 

The  ice  continuing  in  the  same  state,  we  com- 
menced our  work  at  break  of  day  on  the  24th,  and 
in  three  journeys  had  carried  all  the  lighter  part 
of  our  baggage  over  land  by  eleven  o'clock.  All 
hands  then  returned  for  the  two  boats,  across  the 
gunwales  of  which  the  masts  and  oars  were  lash- 
ed for  lifting  them,  the  ground  not  allowing  us  to 
drag  them  except  for  a  short  space  here  and  there. 
By  half  past  one  the  first  boat  had  been  carried 
over,  and,  by  the  unwearied  exertions  of  the  offi- 
cers and  men,  we  had  the  satisfaction  of  launching 
the  second  before  four  o'clock,  the  distance  being 
a  mile  and  a  half,  and  chiefly  over  rocky  and  une- 
ven ground.  As  soon  as  we  had  dined,  the  boats 
were  reloaded ;  and  at  five  o'clock  we  \eL  the 
shore.  A  quantity  of  ice  was  still  aground  upon 
the  shoals  and  islets  off  Cape  Martineau,  through 
which,  however,  we  fortunately  found  a  passage  be- 
fore dark,  when,  having  cleared  every  obstacle,  we 
sailed  in  an  open  sea  and  with  a  fresh  breeze  to 
the  northward.  Keeping  close  along  the  shore  to 
avoid  missing  the  ships  in  the  dark,  our  first  mus- 
ket was  immediately  answered  by  a  blue-light ;  and. 


'ill 


.  ♦, 


V 


^ 


f 


^' 


^ 


232 


SECOND   VOYAGE   FOa  THE   DISCOVERY 


being  guided  by  the  lights  now  shown  by  the  ships, 
we  arrived  at  nine  P.M.,  where  we  found  that  our 
late  detention  had  excited  some  alarm  for  our 
safety. 

On  the  1st  of  October  some  small  rain  fell, 
which,  immediately  freezing,  made  the  decks  and 
ropes  as  smooth  and  slippery  as  if  coated  with 
glass ;  the  thermometer  had  for  several  days  past 
permanently  fallen  below  the  freezing  point,  and 
sometimes  as  low  as  20°  at  night ;  which  change, 
together  with  the  altered  appearance  of  the  land, 
and  the  rapid  formation  of  young  ice  near  the 
shores,  gave  pretty  evident  notice  of  the  approach 
of  winter.  The  commencement  of  this  dreary  sea- 
son in  these  regions  may,  indeed,  be  fairly  dated 
from  the  time  when  the  earth  no  longer  receives 
and  radiates  heat  enough  to  melt  the  snow  which 
falls  upon  it.  When  the  land  is  once  covered  with 
this  substance,  so  little  calculated  to  favour  the  ab- 
sorption of  heat,  the  frigorific  process  seems  to  be 
carried  on  with  increased  vigour,  defining  very 
clearly  the  change  from  summer  to  winter,  with 
little  or  no  immediate  interval  to  which  the  name 
of  autumn  can  be  distinctly  assigned. 

We  passed  Cape  Edwards  on  the  6th ;  but  on 
the  8th  the  formation  of  young  ice  upon  the  sur- 
face of  the  water  began  most  decidedly  to  put  a 
stop  to  the  navigation  of  these  seas,  and  warned  us 
that  the  season  of  active  operations  was  nearly  at 
an  end. 

When  to  the  ordinary  difficulties  which  the  nav- 
igation of  the  Polar  Seas  presents  were  superadded 
the  disadvantages  of  a  temperature  at  or  near  zerOf 
its  necessary  concomitant  the  young  ice,  and  twelve 


OP  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


233 


ships, 
at  our 
r   our 

n  fell, 
i.s  and 
i  with 
^s  past 
It,  and 
ihange, 
le  land, 
iar  the 
►proach 
try  sea- 
y  dated 
eceives 
7  which 
ed  with 
the  ah- 
is  to  be 
ig  very 
er,  with 
le  name 

but  on 
the  sur- 
;o  put  a 
irned  us 
learly  at 

the  nav. 
)eradded 
ear  zerOf 
id  twelve 


P 


hours  of  darkness  daily,  it  was  impossible  any  lon- 
ger to  entertain  a  doubt  of  the  expediency  of  im- 
diately  placing  the  ships  in  the  best  security  that 
could  be  found  for  them  during  the  winter,  rather 
than  run  the  risk  of  being  permanently  detached 
from  the  land  by  an  endeavour  to  regain  the  con- 
tinent. We  were  in  hopes  of  receiving  effectual 
shelter  from  the  numerous  grounded  masses,  but 
could  only  find  berths  within  one  of  them  in  five  to 
six  fathoms  water.  We  now,  for  the  first  time, 
walked  on  board  the  ships  ;  and,  before  night,  had 
them  moved  into  their  places,  by  sawing  a  canal 
for  two  or  three  hundred  yards  through  the  ice. 
The  average  thickness  of  the  new  fioe  was  already 
three  inches  and  a  quarter ;  but  being  in  some  pla- 
ces  much  less,  several  officers  and  men  fell  in,  and, 
from  the  difficulty  of  getting  a  firm  place  to  rest 
on,  narrowly  escaped  a  more  serious  inconvenience 
than  a  thorough  wetting.  The  whole  sheet  of  ice, 
even  in  those  parts  which  easily  bore  a  man's 
weight,  had  a  waving  motion  under  the  feet,  like 
that  of  leather  or  any  other  tough  flexible  substance 
set  afloat,  a  property  which  is,  1  believe,  peculiar 
to  salt-water  ice. 

In  reviewing  the  events  of  this  our  first  season 
of  navigation,  and  considering  what  progress  we 
had  made  towards  the  accomplishment  of  our  main 
object,  it  was  impossible,  however  trifling  that  prog- 
ress might  appear  upon  the  chart,  not  to  experi- 
ence considerable  satisfaction.  Small  as  our  ac- 
tual advance  had  been  towards  Behring's  Strait, 
the  extent  of  coast  newly  discovered  and  minutely 
explored  in  pursuit  of  our  object,  in  the  course  of 
the  last  eight  weeks,  amounted  to  more  than  two 

U2 


^ 


I 


^F  il 


4:!- 


i 


n 


1 


234 


SECOND   VOYAGE   FOR   THE   DISCOVERY 


''i'  4 


hundred  leagues,  nearly  half  of  which  belonged  to 
the  Continent  of  North  America.     This  service, 
notwithstanding  our  constant  exposure  to  the  risks 
which  intricate,  shoal,  and  unknown  channels,  a 
sea  loaded  with  ice,  and  a  rapid  tide  concurred  in 
presenting,  had  providentially  been  effected  with- 
out injury  to  the  ships,  or  suffering  to  the  officers 
and  men ;  and  we  had  now  once  more  met  with 
tolerable  security  for  the  season.     Above  all,  how. 
ever,  I  derived  the  most  sincere  satisfaction  from 
a  conviction  of  having  left  no  part  of  the  coast 
from  Repulse  Bay  eastward  in  a  state  of  doubt  as 
to  its  connexion  with  the  continent.     And  as  the 
mainland  now  in  sight  from  the  hills  extended  no 
farther  to  the  eastward  than  about  a  N.N.E.  bear- 
ing, we  ventured  to  indulge  a  sanguine  hope  of  our 
being  very  near  the  northeastern  boundary  of 
America,  and  that  the  early  part  of  the  next  sea- 
son  would  find  us  employing  our  best  efforts  in 
pushing  along  its  northern  shores. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Precautions  for  the  Security  of  the  Ships  and  their  Stores— 
And  for  the  Health  and  Comfort  of  the  Crews.— Establish- 
ment of  Theatrical  Entertainments  and  Schools. — Erection 
of  an  Observatory  and  House  on  Shore. — State  of  Health  at 
this  Period.— Partial  Disruption  of  the  Ice  in  the  Bay.— An- 
chors and  Cables  taken  to  the  Shore. — Gradual  Increase  of 
Cold,  Appearance  of  the  Aurora  Borealis  on  several  Occa- 
sions, and  various  other  Meteorological  Phenomena  to  the 
Close  of  the  year  1821. 

Our  operations  at  sea  being  now  at  an  end  for 
the  season,  my  chief  attention  was  directed  to  the 


iged  to 
ervice, 
e  risks 
inels,  a 
pred  in 
d  with- 
officers 
let  with 
11,  how. 
n  from 
e  coast 
ioubt  as 
I  as  the 
ided  no 
a.  bear- 
e  of  our 
lary  of 
sxt  sea- 
forts  in 


•  stores— 
Establish- 
— Erection 
Health  at 
Bay.— An- 
ocrease  of 
eral  Occa- 
ena  to  the 


1  end  for 
3d  to  the 


OP   A   NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


235 


security  of  the  ships,  and  to  the  various  internal 
arrangements  which  experience  suggested  as  ne- 
cessary for  the  preservation  of  cleanliness,  health, 
and  comfort  during  the  winter,  as  well  as  for  the 
economical  expenditure  of  provisions,  fuel,  and  oth- 
er stores. 

The  situation  which  circumstances  obliged  us  to 
put  up  with  for  our  winter-quarters  was  by  no 
means  as  secure  as  could  have  been  wished.  The 
bay,  though  as  fine  a  roadstead  as  could  have  been 
desired  if  situated  in  a  more  temperate  climate, 
was  still  only  a  roadstead ;  and,  being  entirely 
open  to  the  south,  was  exposed  to  a  pressure  from 
the  ice  in  that  direction,  unless  the  solid  floe  now 
about  to  be  formed  round  the  ships  should  shortly 
become  sufficient  to  guard  them  from  external  in- 
jury. There  was  some  reason,  however,  to  doubt 
the  efficacy  of  this  protection ;  for,  as  the  spring- 
tides approached,  the  numerous  grounded  masses 
around  the  shores  of  the  bay  began  to  evince 
symptoms  of  instability,  one  or  two  having  fallen 
over,  and  others  turned  round ;  so  that  these  mass- 
es might  be  looked  upon  rather  as  dangerous 
neighbours,  likely  to  create  a  premature  disruption 
of  the  ice,  than  as  the  means  of  security,  which,  in 
seas  not  subject  to  any  considerable  rise  of  tide, 
they  had  so  often  proved  to  us  on  former  occasions. 
To  these  circumstances  was  added  our  uncertainty 
whether  very  high  tides  during  the  winter  might 
not  crack  the  ice,  thereby  exposing  the  ships  to  the 
double  danger  of  being  "  nipped"  about  their  wa- 
ter-line, and  of  being  drifted  out  of  the  bay  by 
northerly  gales.  That  which  was,  however,  per- 
haps the  most  to  be  apprehended,  was  the  possibili- 


'B'-i 


i. 


'!(■,    II 


M    I 


iiiiiiii' 


:,{iilWlliti 


11 'i' 
I'  ■'111 


li 


236      SECOND  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 

ty  of  the  ships  being  forced  into  shoal  water,  with, 
out  detaching  themselves  from  the  mass  of  ice  ce- 
mented to  their  bends,  the  weight  of  which,  hang- 
ing upon  the  sides  of  a  ship  left  aground  by  the 
tide,  could  not  but  produce  very  serious  injury. 

About  the  time  of  our  arrival  in  the  bay,  when 
the  thermometer  had  fallen  nearly  to  zerOf  the  con- 
densation of  vapour  upon  the  beams  of  the  lower 
deck,  and  in  the  cabins  near  the  hatchways,  com- 
menced just  as  it  had  done  at  a  similar  tempera- 
ture before.  To  remedy  this  evil,  no  time  was 
lost  in  lighting  a  fire  in  the  warming-stove  upon  the 
orlop-deck,  everything  being  previously  moved 
from  its  neighbourhood  that  was  likely  to  create 
danger.  The  iron  tanks  in  the  main  hatchway 
were  laid  bare  on  the  top,  and  the  interstices  be- 
tween them  filled  with  sand,  to  form  a  secure  plat- 
form in  front  of  the  fire ;  and  the  sailroom,  bulk- 
heads, and  stancheons  covered  with  sheet  copper. 
Four  steady  men,  of  whom  one  was  a  petty  officer, 
were  appointed  to  attend  the  fire  in  regular  watches, 
being  made  responsible  for  the  due  expenditure  of 
the  fuel,  and  for  the  safety  of  everything  about  the 
stove.  They  had  likewise  particular  charge  of 
the  fire-engine,  buckets,  and  two  tanks  of  water, 
all  of  which  were  kept  in  the  hatchway  in  con- 
stant readiness  in  case  of  accidents.  In  addition 
to  these  precautions,  some  general  regulations 
were  established  for  stationing  the  officers  and 
men  in  the  event  of  fire  ;  and  a  hole  was  directed 
to  be  kept  open  in  the  ice  alongside  each  ship,  to 
ensure  at  all  times  a  sufficient  supply  of  water. 
In  twelve  hours  after  lighting  the  stove  not  a  drop 
of  moisture  remained. 


OF   A   NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


237 


The  regulations  for  the  maintenance  of  due 
cleanliness  among  the  ships'  companies  were  prin- 
cipally the  same  as  those  established  on  the  pre- 
ceding voyage.  As  a  source  of  rational  amuse- 
ment to  the  men,  soon  after  our  arrival  I  proposed 
to  Captain  Lyon  and  the  officers  of  both  ships  once 
more  to  set  on  foot  a  series  of  theatrical  entertain- 
ments, from  which  so  much  benefit  in  this  way 
had,  on  a  former  occasion,  been  derived.  This 
proposal  was  immediately  and  unanimously  ac- 
quiesced in ;  Captain  Lyon  obligingly  undertook 
to  be  our  manager,  and,  some  preparation  having 
been  made  for  this  purpose  previous  to  leaving 
England,  everything  was  soon  arranged  for  per- 
forming a  play  on  board  the  Fury  once  a  fortnight. 

To  furnish  rational  and  useful  occupation  to  the 
men  on  the  other  evenings,  a  school  was  also  es- 
tablished for  the  instruction  of  such  of  the  men  as 
were  willing  to  take  advantage  of  this  opportunity 
of  learning  to  read  and  write,  or  of  improving  in 
those  acquirements. 

While  these  internal  arrangements  were  making, 
the  interests  of  science  were  not  neglected.  A 
day  or  two  after  our  arrival,  Mr.  Fisher  and  my- 
self selected  a  spot  for  the  portable  observatory, 
which  was  immediately  erected  for  the  purpose  of 
making  magnetic  observations ;  and,  as  soon  as 
the  carpenters  could  be  spared  from  the  necessary 
duties  of  the  ships,  a  house  was  built  for  the  recep- 
tion of  the  instruments  requisite  in  conducting  the 
other  observations  and  experiments. 

Soon  afler  our  arrival  here.  Captain  Lyon  ex- 
pressed a  wish  that  his  officers  and  men,  with  him^ 
self,  should  attend  divine  service   on  board  the 


I 


vr. 


388       SECOND  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


'la 


if 


Fury  during  the  continuance  of  the  ships  in  win- 
ter-quarters. This  arrangement  was  accordingly 
made,  and  we  formed  one  congregation  for  thd 
rest  of  the  winter.  Our  lower  deck  afibrded  abun- 
dance of  accommodation  in  this  respect;  some 
psalm  tunes,  which  had  been  purposely  set  upon 
an  organ,  were  played  at  the  proper  intervals  of 
the  service,  and  our  little  church  formed  a  pleasing 
and  interesting  scene  to  such  as  are  disposed  to  be 
interested  by  scenes  of  this  nature. 

I  have  before  mentioned  the  myriads  of  small 
shrimps  (cancer  nugax)  which  for  some  weeks 
past  had  been  observed  near  the  surface  of  the  sea. 
These  insects  were  found  to  be  still  as  numerous 
as  ever  in  any  hole  we  made  in  the  ice ;  and  such 
was  the  extreme  avidity  with  which  they  immedi- 
ately  seized  upon  any  meat  put  overboard,  to  thaw 
or  soak  for  the  sake  of  freshness,  that  Captain  Lyon 
to-day  sent  me  a  goose  to  look  at,  belonging  to  the 
officers  of  the  Hecla,  that  had  been  thus  deposited 
within  their  reach  only  eight  and  forty  hours,  and 
from  which  they  had  eaten  every  ounce  of  meat, 
leaving  only  a  skeleton  most  delicately  cleaned. 
Our  men  had  before  remarked  that  their  meat  suf- 
fered unusual  loss  of  substance  by  soaking,  but  did 
not  know  to  what  cause  to  attribute  the  deficiency. 
We  took  advantage,  however,  of  the  hunger  of 
these  depredators  to  procure  complete  skeletons 
of  small  animals,  for  preservation  as  anatomical 
specimens,  enclosing  them  in  a  net  or  bag  with 
holes,  to  which  the  shrimps  could  have  access,  but 
which  prevented  the  loss  of  any  of  the  limbs,  should 
the  cartilage  of  the  joints  be  eaten.  For  want  of 
this  latter  precaution  some  specimens  were  at  first 
rendered  imperfect. 


'  t 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


239 


A  pair  of  snow-boots  were  now  issued  gratis  to 
each  individual  in  the  expedition,  being  part  of  a 
stock  of  extra  warm  clothing  liberally  furnished 
by  government,  to  be*  supplied  to  the  officers  and 
men  at  my  discretion,  as  occasion  should  require. 
These  boots  were  made  of  strong  drab  cloth,  with 
thick  soles  of  cork,  the  slowly  conducting  property 
of  which  substance,  together  with  their  large  size, 
allowing  a  free  circulation  to  the  blood,  afforded 
the  utmost  comfort  that  could  be  desired.  Boots 
or  shoes  of  leather  never  retain  the  warmth  long, 
under  circumstances  of  very  severe  exposure. 

The  wind  veering  to  the  S.E.  on  the  24th  and 
25th,  the  thermometer  gradually  rose  to  +23**. 
I  may  possibly  incur  the  charge  of  affectation  in 
stating,  that  this  temperature  was  much  too  high 
to  be  agreeable  to  us ;  but  it  is  nevertheless  the 
fact,  that  everybody  felt  and  complained  of  the 
change.  We  had  often  before  remarked,  that  con* 
siderable  alterations  in  the  temperature  of  the  at- 
mosphere are  as  sensibly  felt  by  the  human  frame 
at  a  very  low  part  of  the  scale,  as  in  the  higher. 
The  difference  consists  only  in  this,  that  a  change 
from  —40®  upward  to  about  zero  is  usually  a  very 
welcome  one,  while  from  zero  to  the  freezing  point, 
as  in  the  instance  just  alluded  to,  it  becomes,  to 
persons  in  our  situation,  rather  an  inconvenience 
than  otherwise.  This  may  be  more  readily  ima- 
gined by  considering  that  our  clothing,  bedding, 
fires,  and  other  precautions  against  the  severity  of 
the  climate  having  been  once  adapted  to  a  low  de- 
gree of  cold,  an  increase  of  temperature  renders 
them  oppressive  and  inconvenient ;  while  any  re- 
duction (of  the  first  two,  at  least)  is  impracticable 


k. 


:  I 


il 


s 

i 

1 

m 

1' 

n 

iff' 

Hi 

|i 

'flUi 

.if'*' 

fl»  ! 

';wL. 

i^R 

''k 

^■H;' 

'  '11'''^' 

1,     iii' 

iii 

wb 

i '  Vn  'i 

jl 

1 

M 

1 

!■  p 

^      ^li. 

1  '■ 

' 

ii 

1 

1 

r 

1 

ll 

1 

'  .  -* 


240       SECOND  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 

with  safety.  To  this  must  be  added,  that  at  this 
temperature  the  snow  becomes  too  soft  for  con- 
venient  walking,  and  the  accumulation  of  ice  in  the 
crevices  and  linings  of  the  officers'  cabins  is  con- 
verted into  a  source  of  extreme  annoyance,  which, 
while  it  continues  solid,  is  never  experienced.  It 
is  true  that  these  inconveniences  occur  in  a  much 
greater  degree  in  the  spring ;  but  being  then  hailed 
as  the  harbingers  of  the  return  of  permanent 
warmth,  it  is  easy  to  obviate  some,  and  would  be 
hard  to  complain  of  any  of  them. 

Nov,  6. — For  several  days  about  this  period  the 
weather  continued  remarkably  mild,  the  thermome- 
ter generally  rising  as  high  as  from  +20°  to  +28° 
in  the  course  of  the  day,  from  the  6th  to  the  16th. 
Most  of  our  necessary  arrangements  for  the  se- 
curity of  the  ships  and  stores  during  the  wir^ter  be  > 
ing  now  completed,  the  people  were  employed  in 
what  they  called  "  rigging  the  theatre,"  and  on  the 
evening  of  the  9th  the  officers  performed  the  play 
of  the  *'  Rivals,"  to  the  infinite  amusement  of  both 
ships'  companies. 

On  the  1st  of  December  there  was  a  space  of 
many  miles  in  which  none  of  the  "  old  ice"  was 
visible.  The  sea  was  here  for  the  most  part  cov- 
ered  with  a  very  thin  sheet  of  "  young"  ice,  prob- 
ably the  formation  of  a  single  day,  since  the  west- 
erly wind  had  driven  the  floes  off  the  land.  The 
whole  of  this  was  in  motion  with  the  tide,  which, 
breaking  the  thin  floes,  left  several  spaces  of  clear 
water.  It  was  observable  that,  though  a  consider- 
able frost-smoke  arose  from  the  young  ice,  it  was 
not  so  dense  as  that  from  the  clear  water,  imme- 
diately over  every  pool  of  which  a  little  thick  cloud 


T"n 


OP  A   NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


241 


'^P!   ■"  1^ 


at  this 
ir  con- 
5  in  the 
is  con- 
which, 
,ed.     It 
a  much 
a  hailed 
•manent 
ould  be 

jriod  the 
irmome- 
,0  +28° 
he  16th. 

the  sc-^ 
ir^ter  be » 
loyed  in 
id  on  the 

the  play 
t  of  both 


space 


of 


ice"  was 
)art  cov- 
ce,  prob- 
the  west, 
id.     The 
e,  which, 
of  clear 
consider- 
ce,  it  was 
3r,  imme- 
lick  cloud 


floated,  corresponding  as  well  in  size  as  in  situation 
with  the  pond  from  whence  it  issued.  A  number 
of  dovekies  were  swimming  about  the  point ;  and 
it  being  desirable,  if  possible,  to  obtain  some  of  them 
for  the  sake  of  ascertaining  their  plumage  at  this 
season,  we  hauled  the  small  boat  over  and  launch- 
ed her.  Mr.  Ross  succeeded  in  killing  one  of  the 
birds,  which  was  preserved  as  a  specimen,  but  it 
was  with  great  difficulty  that  the  boat  avoided  be- 
ing carried  away  from  the  shore  by  the  young  ice. 
I  was,  on  this  account,  afraid  of  repeating  the  at- 
tempt during  the  rest  of  the  winter.  One  grouse 
was  seen  on  shore ;  it  appeared  entirely  white,  ex- 
cept having  its  tail  black  near  the  tip.       "  - 

I  was  this  day  under  the  necessity  of  closing  in 
my  stern  dead-lights,  and  fixing  cork  shutters  be- 
tween the  double  window.frames  of  my  cabin,  the 
temperature  having  lately  fallen  rather  low  at  night ; 
in  consequence  of  which,  one  of  the  chronometers 
had  stopped  on  the  26th  of  November.  We  had  be- 
fore this  time  banked  the  snow  up  against  the  sides ; 
but  it  was  now  thrown  higher,  and  its  thickness  at 
the  bottom  increased  to  about  four  feet.  Besides 
this,  a  bed  of  snow,  three  feet  deep,  was  subse- 
quently laid  on  the  deck  over  my  cabin,  and  also  on 
the  forecastle  over  the  sick-bay,  to  assist  in  retain- 
ing the  warmth  in  those  parts  of  the  ship ;  an  office 
which  it  seemed  to  perform  very  effectually.  It 
was  impossible,  however,  as  the  cold  increased,  to 
keep  up  a  tolerably  comfortable  temperature  in  the 
cabin  if  the  fire  was  suffered  to  go  out  for  sever- 
al hours :  for  instance,  the  night  after  the  abovo 
arrangements  had  been  made,  the  fire  was  out  for 
only  six  hours  ;  and  the  consequence  was,  that  the 

Vol,  L— X 


^, 


^  ; 


'I '  ^ 


I 


242 


SECOND  VOYAGE   FOE   THE   DISCOVERY 


Hi:^ 


■I'  fi 


thermometer  fell  to  27^,  and  could  be  got  no  high- 
er  on  the  following  day,  in  the  after  part  x)f  the 
cabin,  though  only  nine  feet  from  the  stove,  than 
33°.  This  was,  indeed,  a  most  inclement  day, 
the  temperature  of  the  atmosphere  having  for  the 
first  time  fallen  to  — 27°,  accompanied-  by  a  fresh 
wind  from  the  northward  and  westward. 

A  great  squeezing  of  the  young  floes  took  place 
at  the  S.£.  point  of  the  island  on  the  12th.  The 
noise  it  makes  when  heard  at  a  distance  very  much 
resembles  that  of  a  heavy  wagon  labouring  over  a 
deep  gravelly  road ;  but,  when  a  nearer  approach 
is  made,  it  is  more  like  the  growling  of  wild  ani. 
mals,  for  which  it  was  in  one  or  two  instances  mis- 
taken. It  was,  however,  rather  useful  than  other- 
wise, to  encourage  the  belief  that  bears  were 
abroad,  as,  without  some  such  idea,  people  are  apt 
to  become  careless  about  going  armed. 

The  thermometer  rising  to  — 5°  in  the  course 
of  the  17th,  the  weather  appeared  warm  to  our 
feelings.  It  proved  favourable  also  for  another 
play,  which  had  been  fixed  for  this  night,  and  the 
"  Poor  Gentleman"  was  performed  by  the  officers 
in  so  admirable  and  feeling  a  manner  as  to  ex- 
cite uncommon  interest  among  the  men,  and  to 
convince  me  more  than  ever  of  the  utility  of  our 
theatrical  amusements.  The  18th  was  a  remark- 
ably clear  day,  without  any  of  that  cloudiness  which 
usually  hung  about  the  southern  horizon.  The  sun 
was  therefore  clearly  visible  at  noori,  when  such 
was  its  oval  shape  that  its  horizontal  diameter  ex. 
ceeded  the  vertical  by  4'.07".  We  had  light  in  the 
cabin  for  reading  and  writing  for  three  hours  and 
a  quarter  without  candles,  and  about  five  hours  for 
convenient  walking. 


ill 


m 


)  high, 
jof  the 
e,  than 
It  day, 
for  the 
a  fresh 

)k  place 
i.     The 
ry  much 
5  over  a 
pproach 
vild  ani- 
ces  mis- 
,n  other- 
,rs  were 
3  are  apt 

e  course 
a  to  our 
'  another 
:,  and  the 
e  officers 
as  to  ex- 
1,  and  to 
ty  of  our 
L  remark- 
ess  which 
The  sun 
^hen  such 
meter  ex- 
ight  in  the 
hours  and 
5  hours  for 


Ot  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


243 


On  the  evening  of  the  24th,  being  Christmas 
eve,  the  ships'  companies  were  amused  by  the  offi- 
cers performing  the  two  farces  of  **  A  Roland  for 
an  Oliver,"  and  the  "Mayor  of  Garratt."  On 
Christmas  day,  divine  service  on  board  the  Fury 
was  attended  by  the  officers  and  crews  of  both 
ships.  A  certain  increase  was  also  made  in  the 
allowance  of  provisions,  to  enable  the  people  to 
partake  of  Christmas  festivities  to  the  utmost  ex- 
tent which  our  situation  and  means  would  allow ; 
and  the  day  was  marked  by  the  most  cheerful  hil- 
arityj  accompanied  by  the  utmost  regularity  and 
good  order.  Among  the  luxuries  which  our  Christ- 
mas dinner  afforded  was  that  of  a  joint  of  Eng- 
lish roast  beef,  of  which  a  few  quarters  had  been 
preserved  for  such  occasions,  by  lubbing  the  out- 
side with  salt,  and  hanging  it  on  deck  covered  with 
canvass.  The  low  latitude  in  which  our  last  sum- 
mer's navigation  was  performed  would  have  ren- 
dered its  preservation  doubtful  without  the  salt. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  last  day  of  the  year,  it  was 
impossible  not  to  experience  very  high  gratification 
in  observing  the  excellent  health  and  spirits  enjoy- 
ed by  almost  every  officer  and  man  in  both  ships. 
The  only  invalid  in  the  expedition  was  Reid,  our 
carpenter's  mate,  and  even  he  was  at  this  period 
so  much  improved,  that  very  sanguine  hopes  were 
entertained  of  his  continued  amendment.  In  con- 
Sequence  of  the  effectual  manner  in  which  the  men 
were  clothed,  particularly  about  the  feet,  not  a  sin- 
gle frostbite  had  occurred  that  required  medical 
assistance  even  for  a  day ;  and,  what  was  more 
important  to  us,  not  a  scorbutic  symptom  had  ap- 
peared. 


I  ■ 

4 

III  M 


i 


i 


■A 


a 


Iji 


214 


SECOND  VOYAGE  FOE  THE  DISCOVERY 


!1|:|,     -^ 


To  increase  our  ordinary  issue  of  anti-scorbu- 
tics, liberal  as  it  already  was,  we  had  from  the 
commencement  of  the  winter  adopted  a  regular 
system  of  growing  mustard  and  cress,  which  the 
superior  warmth  of  the  ships  now  enabled  us  to  do 
on  a  larger  scale  than  before.  Each  mess,  both 
of  the  officers  and  ships'  company,  was  for  this 
purpose  furnished  with  a  shallow  box  filled  with 
mould,  in  which  a  crop  could  generally  be  raised  in 
from  eight  to  ten  days.  The  quantity  thus  pro- 
cured  on  board  the  Fury  now  amounted  to  about 
fifty  pounds'  weight,  and  before  the  arrival  of  spring 
to  nearly  one  hundred  pounds  ;  and,  trifling  as  such 
a  supply  may  appear  to  those  who  are  in  the  habit 
of  being  more  abundantly  furnished,  it  will  not  be 
considered  to  have  been  without  its  use,  when  it 
is  remembered  how  complete  a  specific  for  the 
scurvy  fresh  vegetable  substance  has  invariably 
proved. 

With  respect  to  the  occupations  which  engaged 
our  time  during  this  season  of  unavoidable  inac- 
tivity, 1  can  add  little  or  nothing  to  my  former  ac- 
count of  the  manner  in  which  we  passed  the  win- 
ter at  Melville  Island ;  for  the  two  situations  were 
so  nearly  similar,  and  our  resources  necessarily  so 
limited  in  this  way,  that  it  was  not  easy  to  produce 
much  variety  in  the  employment  of  them.  It  may 
be  imagined,  and  was,  indeed,  anticipated  by  our- 
selves, that  want  of  novelty  was  on  the  present  oc- 
casion a  disadvantage  likely  to  render  our  confine- 
ment more  tedious  than  before ;  but  this  by  no 
means  appeared  to  be  the  case  :  for  the  men,  suffi- 
cient employment  may  always  be  found  to  prevent 
the  possibility  of  their  being  idle;  and  I  have  al- 


scorbu- 
)m  the 
regular 
ich  the 
IS  to  do 
ss,  both 
for  this 
ed  with 
'aised  in 
ms  pro- 
;o  about 
)f  spring 
r  as  such 
;he  habit 
II  not  be 
when  it 
for  the 
ivariably 

engaged 
ble  inac- 
rmer  ac- 
the  win- 
ons  were 
ssarily  so 
) produce 
It  may 
by  our- 
•esent  oc- 
:  confine- 
lis  by  no 
len,  suffi- 
>  prevent 
have  aU 


OF   A   NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


245 


ready  noticed  the  auxiliaries  to  which  we  had  re- 
course to  assist  in  promoting  this  end  ;  while  most 
officers  have  resources  within  themselves,  of  which 
scarcely  any  situation  or  circumstances  can  divest 
them.  What  with  reading,  writing,  making  and 
calculating  observations,  observing  the  various  nat- 
ural phenomena,  and  taking  the  exercise  necessary 
to  preserve  our  health,  nobody,  I  believe,  ever  felt 
any  symptoms  of  ennui  during  our  continuance  in 
winter-quarters. 

Among  the  recreations  which  afforded  the  high- 
est gratification  to  several  among  us,  I  may  men- 
tion the  musical  parties  we  were  enabled  to  muster, 
and  which  assembled  on  stated  evenings  through- 
out the  winter,  alternately  in  Captain  Lyon's  cab- 
in and  my  own.  More  skilful  amateurs  in  music 
might  well  have  smiled  at  these  our  humble  con- 
certs; but  it  will  not  incline  them  to  think  less 
of  the  science  they  admire,  to  be  assured  that,  in 
these  remote  and  desolate  regions  of  the  globe,  it 
has  often  furnished  us  with  the  most  pleasurable 
sensations  which  our  situation  was  capable  of  af- 
fording :  for,  independently  of  the  mere  gratifica- 
tion afforded  to  the  ear  by  music,  there  is,  perhaps, 
scarcely  a  person  in  the  world  really  fond  of  it,  in 
whose  mind  its  sound  is  not  more  or  less  connect- 
ed with  "his  far  distant  home." 

With  our  time  thus  occupied,  our  comforts  so 
abundant,  and  the  prospect  to  seaward  so  enliven- 
ing, it  would,  indeed,  have  been  our  vown  faults  had 
we  felt  anything  but  enjoyment  in  our  present  state, 
and  the  most  lively  hopes  and  expectations  for  the 
future. 


%  :i''l 


m!^ 


i 


I 


246       SECOND  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


,,» .  ,v 


-•  .-«.(• 


■II.    H^ 


n 


CHAPTER  VII. 


*if.-.i;i-,:,::  I    ■'■ 


,.\  '■         *Mv';i.i 


Many  Foxes  caught.— Continued  Open  Water  in  the  Offing. — 
Partial  Disruption  of  the  Ice  in  the  Bay  .-—Meteorological  Phe- 
nomena, and  Temperature  of  Animals. — Arrival  of  a  Tribe  of 
Esquimaux. — First  Meeting  and  subsequent  Intercourse  with 
them. — Esquimaux  in  Want  of  Provisions. — Supplied  with 
Bread-dust. — Some  Account  of  a  Sealing  Excursion  with 
them. — Fresh  Disruption  of  the  Ice  in  the  Bay. — Closing  of 
the  Winter  Theatre. — Meteorological  Phenomena  till  the  end 
of  February,  1822.       ^;       ;      r  -^        -v. :   r    > 

,  The  first  day  of  the  new  year  was  a  very  severe 
one  in  the  open  air,  the  thermometer  being  down 
to  — 22°,  and  the  wind  blowing  strong  from  the 
northwest.  The  effect  of  a  breeze  upon  the  feel- 
ings is  well  known  to  every  person,  even  in  com- 
paratively temperate  climates,  but  at  low  tempera- 
tures it  becomes  painful  and  almost  insupportable. 
Thus,  with  the  thermometer  at  — 55°,  and  no  wind 
stirrii^g,  the  hands  may  remain  uncovered  for  ten 
minutes  or  a  quarter  of  an  hour  without  inconve- 
nience ;  while,  with  a  fresh  breeze,  and  the  ther- 
mometer nearly  as  high  as  zeroj  few  people  can 
keep  them  exposed  so  long  without  considerable 
pain.  uHi 

,  About  noon  on  the  2d,  Captain  Lyon  observed 
a  considerable  body  of  snow  taken  up  by  the  wind 
and  whirled  round  in  a  spiral  form  like  that  of  a 
water-spout,  though  with  us  the  breeze  was  quite 
light  at  the  time.  It  increased  gradually  in  size  till 
lost  behind  the  southeast  point.  As  a  proof  of  the 
difficulty  which  the  hares  must  find  in  obtaining 


^V 


*('  ■  ili 


OF   A   N'ORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


247 


A'f:; 


,lii 


3ffing.— 
ical  Phe- 
Tribeof 
irse  with 
ied  with 
ion  with 
losing  of 
U  the  end 


/  severe 
g  down 
fom  the 
the  feel- 
in  com- 
empera- 
)ortable. 
no  wind 
I  for  ten 
nconve- 
he  ther- 
)ple  can 
iderable 

observed 
the  wind 
that  of  a 
ms  quite 
n  size  till 
of  of  the 
obtaining 


subsistence  during  the  winter,  these  animals  were 
at  this  time  in  the  habit  of  coming  alongside  the 
ships  upon  the  ice  to  pick  up  what  they  could  from 
our  rubbish-heaps.  A  fox  or  two  still  entered  the 
traps  occasionally,  and  our  gentlemen  informed  me 
that  they  had  always  been  most  successful  in  catch- 
ing them  after  a  southerly  wind,  which  they  attrib- 
uted, with  great  probability,  to  the  smell  of  the  ships 
being  thus  more  extensively  communicated  over 
the  island.  One  or  two  of  these  poor  creatures 
had  been  found  in  the  traps  with  their  tongues  al. 
most  bitten  in  two.  The  traps  made  use  of  for 
catching  these  beautiful  little  animals  were  formed 
of  a  small  cask,  having  a  sliding  door  like  that  of 
a  common  mouse-trap,  and  were  baited  with  oiled 
meat  or  blubber.  The  whole  number  caught  du- 
ring  the  winter  was  between  eighty  and  ninety,  of 
which  more  than  seventy  were  taken  before  the  end 
of  December.  In  a  single  trap  of  Captain  Lyon's, 
no  less  than  fifteen  were  caught  in  the  course  of 
four  hours,  on  the  night  of  the  25th  of  November ; 
and  the  people  engaged  in  watching  the  trap  re- 
marked, that  no  sooner  had  one  of  these  aninials 
been  taken  out,  and  they  themselves  retired  a  few 
yards,  than  another  entered  it.  So  stupid,  indeed, 
are  they  in  this  respect,  that,  in  several  instances, 
those  which  had  escaped  from  the  ships  entered, 
and  were  recaught  in  the  same  traps  as  before. 

Jan.  14. — An  ermine,  of  which  the  tracks  had 
been  traced  the  preceding  day  up  the  Hecla's  stern, 
and  even  on  board  her.  Captain  Lyon  to-day  suc- 
ceeded in  catching  in  a  trap.  This  beautiful  crea- 
ture was  entirely  white,  except  a  black  brush  to  its 
tail,  and  a  slight  tinge  of  the  usual  sulphur  or  straw 


%> 


%4  'h 

I''       f 


1 


i 


248       SECOND  VOYAGE   POR  THE  DISCOVERY 


\i%\ 


m 


11     '  I  !i 


•      "'.i   li. 


colour  on  the  root  of  the  tail,  ajiid  also  on  the  fore 
part  of  the  fore  legs.  The  little  animal  being  put 
into  a  convenient  cage,  seemed  soon  to  feel  himself 
perfectly  at  home,  eating,  drinking,  and  sleeping 
without  any  apparent  apprehension,  but  evincing  a 
very  decided  determination  to  resent  a  too  near  ap. 
proach  to  the  wires  of  his  new  habitation. 

Jan.  18.— At  a  late  hour  this  evening  the  stove- 
pipe of  my  cabin  caught  fire,  which  gave  us  a  mo- 
mentary alarm,  but,  buckets  and  water  being  at 
hand,  it  was  soon  extinguished.  This  accident  was 
occasioned  by  a  quantity  of  soot  collected  in  the 
stovepipe,  and  yet  was  not  altogether  to  be  attrib- 
uted to  neglect  in  the  persons  appointed  to  sweep 
the  whole  of  them  twice  a  week.  As  the  cause 
of  it  is  such  as  is  not  likely  to  be  anticipated  by 
persons  living  in  temperate  climates,  and  as  the 
knowledge  of  it  may  be  serviceable  to  somebody 
destined  for  a  cold  one,  I  ishall  here  explain  it. 
The  smoke  of  coals  contains  a  certain  quantity  of 
water  in  the  state  of  vapour.  This,  in  temperate 
climates,  and,  indeed,  till  the  thermometer  falls  to 
about  lO*'  below  zero,  is  carried  up  the  chimney  and 
principally  diffused  in  the  atmosphere.  When  the 
cold  becomes  more  intense,  however,  this  is  no 
longer  the  case  ;  for  the  vapour  is  then  condensed 
into  water  before  it  can  escape  from  the  stovepipes, 
within  which  a  mass  of  ice  is,  in  consequence,  very 
speedily  formed.*  The  vapour  thus  arrested  must 
necessarily  also  detain  a  quantity  of  soot,  which, 


♦  When  the  weather  was  not  very  severely  cold,  and  a  part 
of  the  vapour  escaped  from  the  pipe  of  the  |^)ley-fire,  the  fore- 
rigging  was  always  coated  with  ice,  from  the  smoke  passing 
by  It. 


OF   A   NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


249 


being  subsequently  enclosed  in  the  ice  as  the  latter 
accumulates,  the  brush  generally  used  to  clean  the 
pipes  cannot  bring  it  away.  By  any  occasional  in- 
crease of  temperature,  either  in  the  external  air  or 
in  the  fire  below,  the  ice  sometimes  thaws,  pouring 
down  a  stream  of  water  into  the  fire,  and  bringing 
with  it  a  most  pungent  and  oppressive  smell  of  soot. 
For  these  reasons,  as  well  as  to  avoid  accidents  of 
the  nature  above  alluded  to,  it  is  necessary  to  sweep 
the  pipes  much  more  frequently  than  in  warmer 
climates,  and  even  occasionally  to  thaw  the  ice  out 
of  them  by  a  fire  made  expressly  for  the  purpose. 
On  the  morning  of  the  1st  of  February  it  was 
reported  to  me  that  a  number  of  strange  people 
were  seen  to  the  westward,  coming  towards  the 
ships  ever  the  ice.  On  directing  a  glass  towards 
them  we  found  them  to  be  Esquimaux,  and  also  dis- 
covered some  appearance  of  huts  on  shore,  at  the 
distance  of  two  miles  from  the  ships,  in  the  same 
direction.  I  immediately  set  out,  accompanied  by 
Captain  Lyon,  an  officer  from  each  ship,  and  two 
of  the  men,  to  meet  the  natives,  who,  to  the  num- 
ber of  five-and-twenty,  were  drawn  up  in  a  line 
abreast,  and  still  advanced  slowly  towards  us.  As 
we  approached  nearer  they  stood  still,  remaining, 
as  before,  in  a  compact  line,  from  which  they  did 
not  move  for  some  time  after  we  reached  them. 
Nothing  could  exceed  their  quiet  and  orderly  be- 
haviour  on  this  occasion,  which  presented  a  very 
striking  contrast  with  the  noisy  demeanour  of  the 
natives  of  Hudson's  Strait.  They  appeared  at  a 
distance  to  have  arms  in  their  hands ;  but  what  we 
had  taken  for  bows  or  spears  proved  to  be  only  a 
few  blades  of  whalebone,  which  they  had  brought 


)•  ^1 


(If- 


'■■(■•       i 


k 


s^d 


SECOND  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


'■r    V 


either  as  a  peace-offering  or  for  barter,  and  which 
we  immediately  purchased  for  a  few  small  nails  and 
beads.  Some  of  the  women,  of  whom  there  were 
three  or  four,  as  well  as  two  children,  in  this  party^ 
having  handsome  clothes  on  which  attracted  our  ati 
tention,  they  began,  to  our  utter  astonishment  and 
consternation,  to  strip,  though  the  thermometer 
stood  at  23°  below  zero.  We  soon  found,  however, 
that  there  was  nothing  so  dreadful  in  this  as  we  at 
first  imagined,  every  individual  among  them  having 
on  a  complete  double  suit.  The  whole  were  of 
deerskin,  and  looked  both  clean  and  comfortable* 

However  quietly  the  Esquimaux  had  awaited  our 
approach,  and  still  continued  to  conduct  themselves^ 
there  was  as  little  apprehension  or  distrust  visible 
in  their  countenances  or  manner  as  it  was  possible 
fbr  btie  strange  set  of  persons  to  evince  on  meeting 
another.  As  soon,  therefore,  as  we  had  bought  all 
that  they  had  to  sell,  and  made  them  a  number  of 
valuable  presents,  we  expressed  by  signs  our  wish 
to  accohipany  them  to  their  huts,  with  which  they 
Willingly  complied,  and  we  immediately  set  out  to* 
gether.  On  our  way  the  Esquimaux  were  much 
amused  by  our  dogs,  especially  by  a  large  one  of 
the  Newfoundland  breed,  that  had  been  taught  to 
fetch  and  carry ;  a  qualification  which  seemed  to 
excite  unbounded  astonishment ;  and  the  children 
could  scarce  contain  themselves  for  joy  when  Cap. 
tain  Lyon  gave  them  a  stick  to  throw  for  the  dog 
to  bring  back  to  them.  A  child  of  five  or  six  years 
old,  thus  amusing  itself,  on  such  a  day  and  in  such 
a  climate,  formed  by  no  means  the  least  character- 
istic figure  of  our  motley  group.  An  old  and  infirm 
man,  supported  by  a  stick,  which,  indeed,  he  much 


f!::'i!ii 


tlj  !!  , 


OF  A   NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


251 


which 
ils  and 
e  were 

party* 
our  at* 
mi  and 
ionieter 
jwever, 
ts  we  at 
i  having 
were  of 
(rtable* 
died  our 
mselveSj 
3t  visible 

possible 
i  meeting 
ought  all 
imber  of 
our  wish 
bich  they 
et  out  to. 

re  much 
re  one  of 

taught  to 

eemed  to 
children 

^hen  Cap- 

r  the  dog 
six  years 

id  in  such 
^haracter- 

and  infirm 
he  much 


needed,  was  soon  lefl  behind  us,  his  companions 
seeming  to  take  no  notice  of  his  infirmities,  and 
leaving  him  without  reluctance  or  apology  to  find 
his  way  home  at  his  own  pace.  When  we  had  ap- 
proached the  huts  within  a  few  hundred  yards,  three 
of  the  Esquimaux  went  on  before  us,  having  pre- 
viously explained  that  they  were  going  to  confine 
their  dogs,  lest,  being  frightened  at  our  coming,  they 
should  run  away. 

When  it  is  remembered  that  these  habitations 
were  fully  within  sight  of  the  ships,  arid  how  many 
eyes  were  continually  on  tlie  look-cut  among^us  for 
anything  that  could  afford  variety  or  interest  in  our 
present  situation,  our  surprise  mi^y  in  so  me  liegree 
be  imagined  at  finding  an  establishment  if  five  huts, 
with  canoes,  sledges,  dogs,  and  above  sixt)^  men, 
women,  and  children,  as  regularly  and,  to  au  ap- 
pearance, as  permanently  fixed  as  if  they  had  oc- 
cupied the  same  spot  for  the  whole  winter.  If  the 
first  view  of  the  exterior  of  this  little  village  was 
such  as  to  create  astonishment,  that  feeling  V.'ns  ia 
no  small  degree  heightened,  on  accepting  the  invi- 
tation soon  given  us  to  enter  these  extraordinary 
houses,  in  the  construction  of  which  we  observed 
that  not  a  single  material  was  used  but  snow  and 
ice.  After  creeping  i^iijugh  two  low  passages, 
having  each  its  arched  doorway,  we  came  to  a 
small  circular  apartment,  of  which  the  roof  was  a 
perfect  arched  dorr  3.  From  this  three  doorways, 
also  arched,  and  oi  larger  dimensions  than  the  outer 
ones,  led  into  as  many  inhabited  apartments,  one 
on  each  side,  and  the  other  facing  us  as  we  entered. 
The  interior  of  these  presented  a  scene  no  less 
novel  than  interesting.     The  women  were  seated 


*» 


it. 


'■■;fv 


'■■A 


'' 


I'i    ;  i\ 


252        SECOND  VOYAGE   FOB  THE   DISCOVERY 


rf        r 


;'•  1 


t 


on  the  beds  at  the  sides  of,  the  huts,  each  having  hex 
little  fireplace  or  lamp,  with  all  her  domestic  uten- 
sils about  her;  the  children  crept  behind  their 
mothers,  and  the  dogs,  except  the  female  ones,  which 
were  indulged  with  a  part  of  the  beds,  slunk  out 
past  us  in  dismay.  The  construction  of  this  inhab- 
ited part  of  the  huts  was  similar  to  that  of  the  outer 
apartment,  being  a  dome  formed  by  separate  blocks 
of  snow,  laid  with  great  regularity  and  no  small 
art,  each  being  cut  into  the  shape  requisite  to  form 
a  substantial  arch,  from  seven  to  eight  feet  high  in 
the  centre,  and  having  no  support  whatever  but 
what  this  principle  of  building  supplied.  I  shall 
not  here  farther  describe  the  peculiarities  of  these 
curious  edifices,  remarking  only  that  a  cheerfal  and 
sufficient  Hght  was  admitted  to  them  by  a  circular 
window  of  ice  neatly  fitted  into  the  roof  of  each 
apartment.  '         •    '    '     -  •    '         '  "' 

We  found  our  new  acquaintance  as  desirous  of 
pleasing  us  as  we  were  ready  to  be  pleased ;  so 
that  we  were  soon  on  good  terms  with  them  all. 
While  we  were  engaged  in  examining  every  part 
of  their  huts,  their  whole  behaviour  was  in  the 
highest  degree  orderly,  respectful,  and  good-hu- 
moured. They  eagerly  received  the  various  arti- 
cles that  were  given  them,  either  in  exchange  for 
their  own  commodities  or  as  presents,  but  on  no 
occasion  importuned  us  for  anything,  nor  did  the 
well-known  sound  of  "  pilletay"  once  escape  from 
them.  We  had  also  great  reason  to  believe  that 
these  people  possessed,  in  no  ordinary  degree,  the 
quality  of  honesty ;  a  quality  the  more  desirable  to 
us,  as  we  had  on  shore,  besides  the  house  and  ob- 
servatory, all  our  boats  and  other  articles,  which. 


1 1 


ing  her 
c  uten- 
d  their 
I,  which 
ink  out 
s  inhab- 
tie  outer 
e  blocks 
10  small 
t  to  form 
t  high  in 
ever  but 
I  shall 
of  these 
erful  and 
L  circular 
^  of  each 

jsirous  of 
iased;  so 
them  all. 
■very  part 
as  in  the 
good-hu- 
rious  arti- 
hange  for 
)ut  on  no 
or  did  the 
cape  from 
slieve  that 
egree,  the 
esirable  to 
se  and  ob- 
es,  which, 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


253 


had  they  been  disposed  to  pilfer,  it  would  have  re- 
quired all  our  vigilance  to  guard.  If  we  dropped 
a  glove  or  a  handkerchief  without  knowing  it,  they 
would  immediately  direct  our  attention  to  it  by 
pointing ;  and  if  the  owner  had  left  the  hut  before 
they  discovered  it,  would  run  out  after  him  to  re- 
turn it.  Numberless  instances  of  a  similar  kind 
occurred  in  the  course  of  our  subsequent  commu- 
nication with  them,  some  of  which  I  shall  hereaf- 
ter have  an  opportunity  of  relating. 

After  remaining  with  them  a  couple  of  hours, 
and  proposing  to  spend  the  following  day  among 
them,  we  set  out  on  our  return  to  the  ships.  Be- 
ing desirous  of  trying  their  disposition  to  part  with 
their  children,  I  proposed  to  buy  a  fine  lad,  named 
Toolooakf  for  the  very  valuable  consideration  of  a 
handsome  butcher's  knife.  His  father,  apparently 
understanding  our  meaning,  joyfully  accepted  the 
knife,  and  the  boy  ran  into  the  hut  to  fetch  his 
mittens,  which  seemed  to  be  all  that  he  cared  for 
in  leaving  his  home.  He  then  set  off  with  us 
in  high  spirits,  and  at  first  assisted  in  drawing  a 
sledge  we  had  purchased  to  carry  our  things ;  but 
as  he  began,  by  our  additional  signs,  more  clearly 
to  comprehend  our  true  meaning,  he  gradually  re- 
laxed in  his  zeal  to  accompany  our  party,  and,  be- 
ing afterward  overtaken  by  a  number  of  his  com- 
panions, he  took  an  opportunity  to  slink  off  among 
some  hummocks  of  ice,  so  that,  when  we  arrived 
on  board,  Toolooak  was  missing. 

On  our  reaching  the  ships,  these  people  express- 
ed much  less  surprise  and  curiosity  than  might  nat- 
urally have  been  expected  on  their  first  visit,  which 
may,  perhaps,  in  some  measure,  be  attributed  to 

Vol.  I.^Y 


254 


SECOND  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


^  ii 


II 


^f 


I* 


'•h 


«il 


their  being  in  reality  a  less  noisy  kind  of  people 
than  most  of  the  Esquimaux  to  whom  we  had  be- 
fore been  accustomed.  Quiet  and  orderly,  how- 
ever, as  they  were  disposed  to  be,  this  first  visit 
showed  them  to  be  as  fond  of  merriment  as  their 
countrymen  are  usually  considered ;  for,  on  Cap- 
tain Lyon's  ordering  his  fiddler  up  on  the  Hecla's 
deck,  they  danced  with  the  men  for  an  hour,  and 
then  returned  in  high  glee  and  good-humour  to 
their  huts. 

On  our  return  on  board  we  were  informed  that, 
during  our  absence  in  the  morning,  a  flock  of  thir- 
teen wolves,  the  first  yet  seen,  crossed  the  ice  in 
the  bay  from  the  direction  of  the  huts,  and  passed 
near  the  ships.  These  animals?  as  we  afterward 
learned,  had  accompanied  or  closely  followed  the 
Esquimaux  on  their  journey  to  the  island  the  pre- 
ceding day ;  and  they  proved  to  us  the  most  troub- 
lesome part  of  their  suite.  They  so  much  resem- 
ble the  Esquimaux  dogs,  that,  had  it  not  been  for 
some  doubt  among  the  officers  who  had  seen  them 
whether  they  were  so  or  not,  and  the  consequent 
fear  of  doing  these  poor  people  an  irreparable  inju- 
ry, we  might  have  killed  most  of  them  the  same 
evening,  for  they  came  boldly  to  look  for  food  with- 
in a  few  yards  of  the  Fury,  and  remained  there  for 
some  time. 

Jn  order  to  prevent  our  people  from  occasioning 
the  Esquimaux  any  disturbance  or  apprehension,  I 
directed  that  only  six  from  each  ship  should  be  al- 
lowed to  vi.sit  the  huts  at  one  time,  and  that  they 
should  then  be  always  accompanied  by  an  officer. 
A  strict  prohibition  was,  at  the  same  time,  issued 
Against  the  smallest  article  of  the  ships'  stores  be- 


n 


'  ijF' 


people 
lad  be- 
r,  how- 
st  visit 
IS  their 
m  Cap- 
Hecla's 
►ur,  and 
nour  to 

led  that, 
:  of  thir- 
le  ice  in 
d  passed 
fterward 
)wed  the 
the  pre- 
)st  troub- 
ih  resem- 
been  for 
een  them 
jnsequent 
able  inju- 
the  same 
food  with- 
l  there  for 

jcasioning 
hension,  I 
luld  be  al- 

that  they 
an  officer, 
me,  issued 

stores  be- 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


255 


ing  given  to  the  people  without  permission,  on  pain 
of  severe  punishment. 

At  an  early  hour  on  the  2d  we  set  out,  with  a 
large  party,  on  our  proposed  excursion  to  the  huts. 
The  natives  received  us  with  great  cordiality, 
though  with  somewhat  more  noisy  expressions  of 
pleasure  than  before ;  and  we  soon  began  a  more 
minute  examination  of  their  habitations  and  furni- 
ture, in  which  they  readily  assisted  us,  except  that 
they  always  sat  very  closely  on  the  deerskins  which 
composed  their  beds,  under  which  were  stowed 
such  articles  as  they  were  least  willing  or  able  to 
dispose  of.  They  sold,  however,  a  great  number 
of  their  things  without  reluctance  ;  and  it  was,  in- 
deed, astonishing  to  see  with  what  eagerness  they 
would,  for  the  mere  sake  of  change  and  variety, 
barter  some  of  their  most  indispensable  articles  for 
the  veriest  trifles  in  our  possession.  For  instance, 
a  single  sewing-needle,  of  which  they  possessed 
abundance  not  much  inferior  to  our  own,  procured 
from  them  a  large,  well-sharpened  panna,  or  man's 
knife,  made  of  stout  iron,  for  which,  in  point  of  ab- 
solute  utility,  a  hundred  needles  would  not  have 
been  a  fair  equivalent.  Various  other  instances 
of  the  same  kind  occurred,  by  which,  indeed,  they 
were  not  ultimately  losers,  though  they  certainly 
would  have  been  so  had  our  intercourse  ended 
here. 

We  dined  in  the  huts,  and  the  Esquimaux  glad- 
ly partook  of  our  biscuit  and  meat,  and  even  of  a 
little  wine,  which,  however,  they  did  not  relish. 
We  returned  on  board  about  sunset,  much  grati- 
fied with  the  interesting  day  we  had  passed ;  hav- 
ing laid  the  foundation  of  that  perfect  confidence 


I 


0. 


I 


it 


I 


r 


250        SECOND  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERT 


m 


■!.l 


1  tlliil 


Ilk  % 


and  good  understanding  which,  with  little  or  no  in- 
terruption,  afterward  subsisted  between  us  and  our 
new  acquaintance. 

On  the  morning  cf  the  3d,  a  number  of  these 
people  were  observed  to  set  off  over  the  ice  to  the 
southwest,  to  bring,  as  we  conjectured,  either  some 
more  of  their  people  or  of  their  property  from  their 
last  place  of  abode.  On  walking  out  to  the  huts 
after  divine  service,  however,  we  found  they  had 
been  seal-catching,  and  had  succeeded  in  taking 
four.  The  very  small  quantity  of  food  which  they 
had  in  their  huts  at  first  coming,  consisting  of  a 
little  venison,  and  the  flesh  and  blubber  of  the  whale 
and  seal,  induced  us  to  suppose  they  had  left  some 
of  their  provision  behind,  and  that  they  would  re- 
turn for  it  as  occasion  demanded.  But  we  now 
found  that  even  at  this  rigorous  season  they  were 
entirely  dependant  in  this  way  on  their  daily  exer- 
tions, and  they  had  only  removed  into  their  present 
quarters  on  account  of  the  failure  of  their  summer's 
store,  and  of  the  greater  facility  of  obtaining  seals 
at  Winter  Island  than  where  the  sea  was  more 
closely  and  continually  frozen. 

On  the  4th  a  number  of  Esquimaux  came  to  the 
ships,  and  we  took  the  opportunity  of  getting  them 
to  go  through  the  process  of  building  a  snow  hut 
for  our  amusement  and  information.  From  the 
quickness  with  which  they  completed  this,  our  sur- 
prise at  the  sudden  appearance  of  their  village 
ceased ;  as  we  now  saw  that  two  or  three  hours 
would  be  more  than  sufficient  to  complete  the 
whole  establishment  just  as  we  at  first  found  it. 
They  were  then  taken  on  board,  and  derived  great 
amusement  from  our  organ,  and  from  anything  in 


t 


H  ■'« 


OP  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE, 


257 


m  '* 


noin- 
tndour 

f  these 
i  to  the 
jr  some 
m  their 
tie  huts 
iey  had 
I  taking 
Lch  they 
ng  of  a 
le  whale 
eft  some 
ould  re- 
we  now 
ley  were 
ily  exer. 
r  present 
summer's 
jng  seals 
;ra3  more 

me  to  the 
ting  them 
snow  hut 
?rom  the 
3,  our  sur- 
ir  village 
ree  hours 
iplete  the 
found  it. 
ived  great 
lything  in 


the  shape  of  music,  singing,  or  dancing,  of  all  which 
they  are  remarkably  fond.  Nor  can  I  here  omit 
a  striking  instance  of  the  honesty  of  these  people 
which  occurred  to-day.  Some  of  the  gentlemen 
of  the  Hecla  had  purchased  two  of  their  dogs, 
which  had  the  preceding  evening  made  their  es- 
cape and  returned  to  the  huts.  After  the  depar- 
ture of  the  Esquimaux  to-day,  we  were  surprised 
to  find  that  they  had  left  two  dogs  carefully  tied  up 
on  board  the  Fury,  which,  on  inquiry,  proved  to  be 
the  animals  in  question,  and  which  had  been  thus 
faithfully  restored  to  their  rightful  owners 

On  the  5th  a  number  of  the  natives  came  on 
board,  according  to  promise,  to  rebuild  the  hut  in 
a  more  substantial  manner,  and  to  put  a  plate  of 
ice  into  the  roof,  as  a  window,  which  they  did  with 
great  quickness  as  well  as  care,  several  of  the 
women  cheerfully  assisting  in  the  labour.  The 
men  seemed  to  take  no  small  pride  in  showing  in 
how  expeditious  and  workmanlike  a  manner  they 
could  perform  this ;  and  the  hut,  with  its  outer 
passage,  was  soon  completed.  From  this  time 
they  were  in  the  constant  habit  of  coming  freely 
to  the  ships ;  and  such  as  it  was  not  always  conve- 
nient to  admit  usually  found  very  profitable  em- 
ployment in  examining  the  heaps  of  ashes,  sand, 
and  other  rubbish  on  the  outside,  where  their  trou- 
ble was  well  repaid  by  picking  up  small  scraps  of 
tin  or  iron.  All  that  they  found  in  this  manner  we 
allowed  them  to  consider  as  their  lawful  properly  • 
but  were  very  particular  in  preventing  their  hand* 
ling  anything  on  board  without  permission. 

The  wolves  had  now  begun  to  do  us  some  dam- 
age :  for  not  even  the  sails  that  were  fastened  round 

Y2 


41 


•I  -I. 

f  ■  It 


258        SECOND  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


I  i;iN 


.'■  % 


h      '  M 


I,  '   h 


n. 


the  house  and  observatory  could  escape  their  rav- 
enous fangs,  and  they  had  thus,  in  the  course  of  a 
single  night,  much  injured  two  of  our  studding-sails* 
We  set  traps  for  them  on  the  ice,  and  also  large 
shark-hooks,  secured  with  chains  and  haited  with 
meat ;  but  the  former  they  entered  and  destroyed, 
and  the  latter  was  always  found  broken  or  bent, 
without  securing  the  depredators.  These  animals 
were  indeed  so  hungry  and  fearless  as  to  take  away 
some  of  the  Esquimaux  dogs  in  a  snow-house  near 
the  Hack's  stern,  though  the  men  were  at  the  time 
within  a  few  yards  of  them. 

From  the  circumstance  of  Captain  Lyon  and 
my«elf  having  accidentally  gone  into  different  huts 
on  our  first  visits  to  the  village  (for  by  this  name 
I  believe  we  must  venture  to  dignify  the  united 
abodes  of  more  than  sixty  human  beings),  particu- 
lar  individaals  among  the  Esquimaux  had  alread)', 
in  a  manner,  attached  themselves  to  each  of  us. 
Captain  Lyon  now  informed  me  that  one  of  his  ac- 
quaintance, a  remarkably  fine  and  intelligent  young 
man,  named  Ayoket,  had  given  him  to  understand 
that  he  had  somewhere  or  other  seen  Kahloona^ 
people  like  ourselves  only  a  few  months  ago.  This 
being  the  case,  there  seemed  no  reason  why,  if  it 
were  made  worth  his  while,  he  should  not  be  able 
to  see  them  again  in  the  course  of  next  summer. 
Anxious  to  profit  by  this  unexpected  mode  of  com- 
munication, I  requested  Captain  Lyon  to  endeav- 
our to  direct  Ayoket's  attention  to  the  scheme  of 
conveying  a  letter  from  ufi  to  the  persons  of  whom 
he  spoke. 


•  European. 


Ir'll 


k.A 


OF  A  NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


259 


jir  rav- 
se  of  a 
ig.sails. 

0  large 
;ed  with 
stroyed, 
or  bent, 
animals 
ke  away 
use  near 
the  time 

,yon  and 
srent  huts 
tiis  name 
ke  united 
L  particu- 

1  alread)^ 
.ch  of  us. 
of  his  ac- 
;ent  young 
inderstand 
Kabloma* 
go.     This 

why,  if  it 
lot  be  able 
:t  summer, 
►de  of  com- 
to  endeav- 
scheme  of 
IS  of  whom 


On  the  7th  I  paid  another  visit  to  the  huts,  where 
I  found  scarcely  anybody  but  women  and  children, 
the  whole  of  the  men,  with  the  exception  of  the 
two  oldest,  having  gone  on  a  sealing  excursion  to 
the  northeastern  side  of  the  island.  One  of  the 
women,  named  IligUuk,  a  sister  of  the  lad  Tooloo- 
ak,  who  favoured  us  with  a  song,  struck  us  as  hav- 
ing  a  remarkably  soft  voice,  an  excellent  ear,  and 
a  great  fondness  for  singing,  for  there  was  scarcely 
any  stopping  her  when  she  had  once  begun.  We 
had,  on  their  first  visit  to  the  ships,  remarked  this 
trait  in  Iligliuk's  disposition,  when  she  was  listen- 
ing for  the  first  time  to  the  sound  of  the  organ,  of 
which  she  seemed  never  to  have  enough ;  and  al- 
most every  day  she  now  began  to  display  some 
of  that  superiority  of  understanding  for  which  she 
was  so  remarkably  distinguished.  A  few  of  the 
women  learned  several  of  our  names  to-day,  and  I 
believe  all  thought  us  Angekoks*  of  a  very  superior 
class,  when  we  repeated  to  them  all  round,  by  the 
assistance  of  our  books,  the  names  of  all  their  hus- 
bands, obtained  on  board  the  preceding  day.  On 
our  way  back  to  the  ships  we  saw  a  party  of  them, 
with  their  dogs,  returning  over  the  hill  from  the 
northeastward ;  and  we  afterward  met  another  of 
eight  or  ten,  who  had  walked  round  by  the  southeast 
point  on  the  ice,  all  alike  unsuccessful,  after  being 
out  in  the  wind  for  six  hours,  with  the  thermometer 
from  18  to  22  degrees  below  zero.  Thus  hardly 
did  these  people  obtain  their  daily  subsistence  at 
this  severe  season  of  the  year. 

*  Sorcerers  or  wizards,  pronounced  as  written  above  in 
Greenland;  but  at  Winter  Island  iln^-^<*&tfoA;;  and  by  the  peo- 
ple at  Igloolik,  J.n-n^-ilctf.  • 


i;  .1 

"11 1  i' 

■fir '  '■ 

I 


I: 


*^'" 


260        SECOND  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


% 


M  ' 


,;,      ,,,; 


t  lil*,    ''' 


m 


m.i 


I! 


'f  %:  ! 


A  wolf  being  caught  in  one  of  the  traps  this 
evening,  which  was  so  close  as  to  be  easily  watch, 
ed  from  the  ship,  a  party  of  the  officers  ran  out  to 
secure  the  depredator,  and  fired  two  balls  into  the 
trap  at  once  to  despatch  him.  Finding,  after  this, 
that  he  continued  to  bite  a  sword  that  was  thrust 
in,  a  third  shot  was  fired  at  him.  The  trap  was 
then  sufficiently  opened  to  get  his  hind  legs  firmly 
tied  together,  after  which,  being  considered  tolera- 
bly secure,  he  was  pulled  out  of  the  trap,  which, 
however,  his  head  had  scarcely  cleared,  when  he 
furiously  flew  at  Mr.  Richards's  throat,  and  would 
certainly  have  done  him  some  serious  mischief  had 
not  that  gentleman,  with  great  presence  of  mind, 
seized  the  animal  in  his  turn  by  the  throat,  squeez- 
ing him  with  all  his  force  between  both  hands. 
This  made  the  wolf  relinquish  his  first  attempt, 
and  Mr.  Richards  only  suffered  by  a  bite  in  his 
arm  and  another  in  his  knee,  which,  on  account 
of  the  thickness  of  his  clothes,  were  happily  not 
severe  ones.  As  for  the  wolf,  he  prudently  took 
to  his  heels,  though  two  of  them  were  still  tied  to- 
gether ;  and,  being  favoured  by  the  momentary  con- 
fusion occasioned  by  his  late  rencounter  with  Mr. 
Richards,  succeeded  in  escaping  his  pursuers.  He 
was  found  dead  the  following  day  at  the  distance  of 
three  quarters  of  a  mile  from  the  ships. 

On  the  8th  we  were  visited  by  a  musical  party 
of  females,  consisting  only  of  a  few  individuals  ex- 
pressly  invited  for  this  purpose,  A  number  of  the 
officers  assembled  in  the  cabin  to  hear  this  vocal 
concert,  while  Mr.  Henderson  and  myself  took 
down  the  notes  of  their  songs,  for  which,  indeed, 
they  gave  us  every  opportunity,  for  I  thought  they 


ii  iii  I 


OF   A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


261 


this 
Ltch- 
at  to 
)  the 
this, 
irust 
was 
rmly 
>lera- 
hich, 
jn  he 
vould 
jf  had 
mind, 
[ueez- 
lands* 
tempt, 
in  his 
5Count 
ly  not 
took 
ied  to- 
•y  con- 
th  Mr. 
s.    He 
ince  of 

,1  party 
lals  ex- 
•  of  the 
vocal 
If  took 
indeed, 
;ht  they 


would  never  leave  off.  We  afterward  amused  them 
with  our  little  band  of  flutes  and  violins,  and  also 
by  some  songs,  with  the  whole  of  which  they  were 
extremely  well  pleased.  I  feared  several  of  them, 
and  especially  Iligliuk,  would  go  into  fits  with  de- 
light when  we  introduced  into  our  song  some  of 
their  names  mingled  with  our  own.  While  most 
of  us  were  thus  employed.  Captain  Lyon  took  the 
opportuniiy  of  making  drawings  of  some  of  the 
women,  especially  of  Togolat,  the  prettiest  of  the 
party,  and,  perhaps,  of  the  whole  village.  She 
was  about  six-and-lwenty  years  of  age,  with  a  face 
more  oval  than  that  of  Esquimaux  in  general, 
very  pretty  eyes  and  mouth,  teeth  remarkably 
white  and  regular,  and  possessing  in  her  carriage 
and  manners  a  degree  of  natural  gracefulness, 
which  could  not  be  hid  even  under  the  disguise  of 
an  Esquimaux  woman's  dress,  and,  as  was  usual 
with  Togolat,  the  dirtiest  face  of  her  whole  tribe. 
Her  husband,  Ewerat,  a  little  ugly  man  of  about 
five-and-forty,  was  the  only  individual  among  them 
laying  claim  to  the  title  of  Angetkook,  and  was, 
in  reality,  a  sensible,  obliging  man,  and  a  first, 
rate  seal-catcher.  They  had  two  children,  one  of 
which,  a  little  girl,  Togolat  still  occasionally  suck- 
led,  and,  according  to  custom,  carried  in  the  hood 
behind  her  back;  the  other,  a  boy  about  c.ght 
years  of  age,  quite  an  idiot,  deaf  and  dumb  from  his 
birth,  and  squinting  most  horribly  with  both  eyes. 
Finding  that  these  poor  creatures  were  now 
really  in  want  of  food,  for  the  men  had  again  re- 
turned from  an  unsuccessful  excursion,  I  was  hap- 
py to  avail  myself  of  a  hint  given  to  me  by  Cap- 
tain Lyon,  to  furnish  them  occasionally  with  a 


i, 


-^ 


<i    i>A 


0^^ 


262       SECOND  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 

small  supply  of  bread-dust,  of  which  we  had  two 
or  three  casks  in  each  ship.  Our  present  party 
was  therefoi'e,  in  addition  to  other  articles,  supplied 
with  several  pounds,  which  they  immediately  ex- 
pressed their  intention  to  take  home  to  their  chil- 
dren. Several  of  them  visited  the  ships  as  usual 
on  the  9th,  and  among  the  rest  Ka-oong.ut  and 
his  son  Toolooak.  The  old  gentleman  was  not  a 
favourite  with  us,  being  the  only  one  who  had  yet 
begun  to  tease  us  by  constant  begging.  We  had 
often  expressed  displeasure  at  this  habit,  which, 
after  a  day  or  two's  acquaintance,  began  to  be  ex- 
tremely troublesome ;  but  1  had  to-day  to  take  cog- 
nizance of  his  stealing  a  nail,  of  which  I  deter, 
mined  to  take  a  rather  serious  notice,  as  it  might 
otherwise  lead  to  more  extensive  theft.  I  there- 
fore collected  all  the  other  Esquimaux  who  were 
on  board,  and  having  in  their  presence  expressed 
great  indignation  at  this  conduct,  turned  the  of- 
fender away  in  disgrace.  Some  of  those  best  ac- 
quainted with  us  were  afterward  taken  into  the  cab- 
in, where  our  sentiments  were  more  fully  explain- 
ed to  them.  Among  these  I  was  not  sorry  to  have 
Toolooak  and  Iligliuk,  who  would  not  fail  to  report 
at  the  huts  all  our  proceedings,  but  who  did  not 
appear  to  consider  themselves  in  the  slightest  de- 
gree implicated  in  their  father's  offence,  or  con- 
cerned in  his  disgrace.  The  people  of  the  huts 
being  much  in  want  of  food,  we  again  distributed 
some  bread-dust  among  them,  taking  care  to  send 
a  portion  to  the  infirm  old  man,  Hik-kii-era,  by 
Okoiook,  the  husband  of  Iligliuk,  a  fine,  active,  man- 
ly fellow  of  about  two-and-thirty,  who,  as  we  were 
pleased  to  find  the  next  day,  had  punctually  execu- 
ted his  commission. 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


268 


lad  two 
\i  party 
supplied 
tely  ex- 
eir  chil- 
ls usual 
r-ut  and 
as  not  a 
had  yet 
We  had 
;,  which, 
to  be  ex- 
take  cog- 
I  deter- 
it  might 
I  there- 
jrho  were 
Expressed 
i  the  of. 
best  ac- 
)  the  cab- 
explain- 
y  to  have 
to  report 
did  not 
htest  de- 
or  con- 
the  huts 
istributed 
e  to  send 
ji-crS,  by 
ive,  man- 
we  were 
ily  execu- 


The  Esquimaux  went  out  on  the  10th  to  endeav- 
our to  catch  seals  as  usual,  but  returned  unsuccess. 
ful  after  several  hours'  labour.  As  it  was  now  evi- 
dent  that  their  own  exertions  were  not  at  all  times 
sufficient  to  procure  them  food  at  this  season,  and 
that  neither  indolence  nor  any  idea  of  dependance 
on  our  charity  induced  them  to  relax  in  those  ex- 
ertions, it  became  incumbent  on  us  carefully  to  at- 
tend to  their  wants,  and,  by  a  timely  and  judicious 
application  of  the  slender  resources  we  had  set 
aside  for  their  use,  prevent  any  absolute  suffering 
among  them.  We  therefore  sent  out  a  good  meal 
of  bread-dust  for  each  individual,  to  be  divided  in 
due  proportion  among  all  the  huts.  The  necessity 
of  this  supply  appeared  very  strongly  from  the  re- 
port of  our  people,  who  found  some  of  these  poor 
creatures  actually  gnawing  a  piece  of  hard  seal- 
skin with  the  hair  on  it,  while  few  of  the  huts  had 
any  lamp  alight.  It  must  be  remembered  that  the 
failure  of  their  seal-fishery  always  involves  a  dou- 
ble calamity,  for  it  not  only  deprives  them  of  food, 
but  of  fuel  for  their  lamps.  When  this  is  the  case, 
not  to  mention  the  want  of  warmth  and  light  in  the 
huts,  they  are  also  destitute  of  the  means  of  melt- 
ing snow  for  water,  and  can  therefore  only  quench 
their  thirst  by  eating  the  snow,  which  is  not  only  a 
comfortless,  but  an  ineffectual  resource.  In  conse- 
quence of  this,  it  was  surprising  to  see  the  quantity 
of  water  these  people  drank  whenever  they  came 
on  board  ;  and  it  was  often  with  difficulty  that  our 
coppers  could  arswer  this  additional  demand.  I 
am  certain  that  Toclooak  one  day  drank  nearly  a 
gallon  in  less  than  two  hours.  Besides  the  bread- 
dust,  we  also  supplied  them  to-day  with  a  wolf's 


I  :m 


i. 


111    ;if 
'if 

.  f 


His        >  ' 


■J; 


mm  '^^"'^ 


'i4\ 


i:''! 


264       SECOND  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 

carcass,  which,  raw  and  frozeii  aa  li  was,  they  ate 
with  a  good  appetite  ;  and,  indec  .  ;i  yy  had  not  the 
means  of  cooking,  or  even  thawing  it.  I  cannot 
here  omit  a  pleasing  trait  in  their  character,  observ- 
ed by  our  people  who  carried  out  their  supplies ; 
not  a  morsel  of  which  would  the  grown-up  people 
touch  till  they  had  first  supplied  the  wants  of  their 
hungry  little  ones. 

On  the  morning  of  the  12th,  Okotook  and  his  un- 
cle Amaneelia,  a  sensible  and  worthy  man  of  about 
five-and-forty  years  of  age,  coming  on  board  from 
their  fishing,  we  showed  them  the  stage  and  scenery 
that  were  just  put  up,  and  invited  them  and  their 
wives  to  the  play  about  to  be  performed  this  even- 
ing. They  accordingly  went  back  and  brought  the 
women,  who  understood  they  were  to  be  present  at 
some  diversion,  though  they  did  not  well  know  what. 
It  was  enough,  however,  with  Iligliuk,  just  to  make 
the  motion  of  turning  the  handle  of  the  organ, 
which,  conveying  to  her  mind  the  idea  of  music  and 
merriment,  was  always  sure  to  put  her  immediately 
into  high  spirits.  As  they  came  three  or  four  hours 
before  the  performance  of  "  John  Bull"  was  to  com- 
mence, they  began  to  grow  tired  and  impatient, 
especially  when  it  became  dusk,  and  candles  were 
brought  into  the  cabin.  The  men  then  explained 
that  it  would  soon  be  dark,  and  that,  in  returning 
late  to  their  huts,  they  should  disturb  the  people 
who  would  then  be  fast  asleep  there.  Finding  that 
they  grew  uneasy,  I  made  no  objection  to  their  re- 
turning,  and  sent  them  off  loaded  with  bread-dust 
and  some  oil  for  each  of  their  lamps.  They  re- 
mained long  enough,  however,  to  have  a  peep  at 
Mrs,  Brulgruddery,  whose  drees,  when  they  were 


i 


ley  ate 
aot  the 
cannot 
3bserv- 
pplies ; 
people 
)f  their 

^  ■ 

his  un- 
if  about 
rd  from 
scenery 
id  their 
lis  even- 
ught  the 
resent  at 
)W  what, 
to  make 
Q  organ, 
lusic  and 
mediately 
)ur  hours 
s  to  com- 
upatient, 
lies  were 
ixplained 
returning 
le  people 
ding  that 
their  re- 
iread-dust 
They  re- 
L  peep  at 
hey  were 


OP  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE, 


265 


infbrmed  it  was  that  of  a  kahlSona  noolUe^o  (Eu- 
ropean wife),  they  were  very  anxious  in  examining, 
and  seemed  to  grieve  at  going  away  without  sha- 
ring the  diversion  which  this  and  other  preparations 
seemed  to  promise. 

On  the  13th,  our  friends  at  the  huts  were  fortu- 
nate in  procuring  three  seals,  an  event  that  created 
great  joy  at  the  village.  Mr.  Allison,  who  happen- 
ed to  be  there  when  one  of  these  prizes  was  an- 
nounced, informed  me  that  there  was  a  general 
outcry  of  joy ;  all  the  women  hurried  to  the  doors 
of  the  huts,  and  the  children  rushed  to  the  beach  to 
meet  the  men  dragging  along  the  prize.  One  of 
these  little  urchins,  to  complete  the  triumphant  ex- 
ultation with  which  this  event  was  hailed,  instantly 
threw  himself  on  the  animal,  and  clinging  fast  to  it, 
was  thus  dragged  to  the  huts.  Each  woman  was 
observed  to  bring  her  dotkooseek,  or  cooking-pot,  to 
the  hut  where  the  seal  was  dissected,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  receiving  a  share  of  the  meat  and  blubber. 

On  the  15th  it  blew  a  strong  gale  from  S.W, 
to  W.N.W.,  and  the  thermometer,  either  on  ac- 
count of  the  strength  of  the  wind  or  its  having  oc- 
casionally some  southing  in  it,  rose  to  — 4**,  being 
the  highest  temperature, registered  in  our  journals 
since  the  27th  of  December  preceding.  I  had 
agreed  with  Okotook  to  acc^  ^npany  him  on  a  seal- 
ing excursion,  but  the  day  proved  too  inclement, 
the  Esquimaux  not  going  out  themselves,  though  it 
was  not  very  often  that  the  weather  could  prevent 
them.  Considering  it  desirable  to  increase,  by  all 
the  means  in  our  power,  the  chances  of  these  peo- 
ple giving  information  of  us,  we  distributed  among 
several  of  the  men  large  round  medallions  of  sheet 

Vol.  I.— Z 


11 


i 


i 


ii  \  f* 


If 


266       SECOND  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 

copper,  having  these  words  punched  through  them : 
"  H.  B.  M.  S.  Fury  and  Hecla,  all  well,  A.D.  1822." 
These  we  suspended  by  a  piece  of  white  line  round 
their  necks,  giving  them  to  understand  that  they 
were  to  show  them  to  any  Kahloona  people  they 
might  ever  meet  with  in  future.  Similar  orna- 
ments,  but  of  a  smaller  size,  were  subsequently 
presented  to  many  of  the  women,  having  on  them 
the  words  "Fury  and  Hecla,  1822." 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  16th,  observing  a 
party  of  the  Esquimaux,  equipped  with  spears,  pass- 
ing near  the  ships,  I  joined  them,  accompanied  by 
Mr.  Bushnan  and  one  or  two  others.  Having 
crossed  the  point  of  the  island,  they  walked  over 
the  ice  to  the  eastward,  where  we  did  not  overtake 
them  till  they  had  got  above  a  mile  and  a  quarter 
from  the  shore.  This  party  consisted  of  eight  per- 
sons, among  whom  we  were  glad  to  find  Arnanee- 
lia,  Okotook,  Toolooak,  Pootooalook  his  elder  broth- 
er, and  one  or  two  others  whom  we  knew.  They 
had  by  this  time,  however,  separated  into  two  or 
three  different  parties,  stationed  at  the  distance  of 
half  a  mile  from  each  other,  along  the  edge  of  the 
floe,  beyond  which,  to  the  eastward,  there  was  clear 
water  as  far  as  we  could  see  for  frost-smoke. 

The  party  we  at  first  joined  were  seated  on  a 
high  hummock  of  ice,  with  their  spears  in  their 
hands,  looking  out  for  seals.  After  we  had  talked 
to  them  for  a  few  minutes,  Okotook  suddenly  start- 
ed  up  and  set  off  along  the  edge  of  the  ice,  without 
giving  us  or  his  companions  the  least  warning. 
The  latter  seemed  so  much  accustomed  to  this,  that 
they  took  no  farther  notice  than  by  immediately 
following  him,  and  we  did  the  same;  the  whole 


Till , 


OP   A  NORTHWEST   PASSAGE. 


267 


I  P 


them: 
1822." 
J  round 
it  they 
le  they 
r  orna- 
quently 
)n  them 

rving  a 
rs,  pass- 
mied  by 
Having 
:ed  over 
Dvertake 
L  quarter 
ight  per- 
^rnanee- 
er  broth- 
They 

two  or 
}tancc  of 
ye  of  the 
(Vas  clear 
)ke. 

ted  on  a 

in  their 
ad  talked 
nly  start. 
B,  without 

warning. 

this,  that 
mediately 
the  whole 


party  walking  at  a  very  quick  rate,  and  the  natives 
keeping  their  heads  constantly  turned  towards  the 
sea  to  look  out  for  seals.  After  being  thus  engaged 
for  an  hour  and  a  half,  we  judged,  from  the  motions 
of  a  party  at  some  distance  beyond  us,  that  they 
had  game  in  view.  As  we  approached  them,  Oko- 
took  evidently  began  to  be  apprehensive  that  we, 
who  did  not  understand  the  matter,  would  spoil  their 
sport.  To  prevent  this,  he  did  the  most  civil  thing 
that  could  well  have  been  devised,  which  was,  to 
send  his  companions  one  by  one  to  the  spot,  and 
to  remain  with  us  himself,  keeping  us  at  such  a  dis. 
tance  as  to  allow  us  to  see  their  proceedings,  with, 
out  alarming  the  animal  they  were  in  pursuit  of. 
The  other  seven  Esquimaux,  now  forming  one  par- 
ty, disposed  themselves  into  a  single  line,  so  as  to 
make  as  small  an  appearance  as  possible  in  the  di. 
rection  in  which  they  were  going,  and  in  this  man- 
ner crept  very  cautiously  towards  the  margin  of 
the  floe.  On  a  sudden,  they  all  stooped  down  quite 
low  to  hide  themselves,  and  continued  thus  a  quar- 
ter of  an  hour,  during  which  time  they  prepared 
their  lines  and  spears ;  and  then,  when  the  animal 
appeared  to  oe  intercepted  from  their  view,  again 
took  the  opportunity  of  gaining  a  few  paces  upon 
him,  in  the  same  cautious  manner  as  before.  When 
they  had  been  thus  occupied  for  a  full  hour,  alter- 
nately creeping  and  stooping  down,  the  seal,  which 
had  been  lying  on  the  ice,  took  the  water,  and  they 
then  gave  up  their  chase.  During  this  time,  Oko- 
took  could  scarcely  restrain  his  impatience  to  be 
nearer  the  scene  of  action  ;  and  when  we  produced 
a  spyglass,  which  appeared  to  bring  his  compan- 
ions close  to  us,  he  had  not  words  to  express  hia 


r-;? 


ij  1 


r 


^  ;■ 


■i " 


■  iif' 

1 ,  i'\§i 


268        SECOND  VOYAGE   FOR  THE   DISCOVERY 

surprise  and  satisfaction.  In  a  short  time  he  held 
it  as  steadily  as  we  did,  and  explained  by  signs  ev- 
ery nnotion  he  observed. 

As  soon  as  they  had  given  up  the  seal  they  had 
been  watching,  the  whole  party  seemed  with  one 
accord  to  turn  their  steps  homeward,  in  which  di- 
rection, being  that  of  the  ships  also,  we  were  by 
this  time  not  sorry  to  accompany  them.  We  were 
now  between  three  and  four  miles  northeast  of  tho 
ships,  and  full  a  mile  and  a  half  from  any  part  of 
the  shore.  In  the  open  water  beyond  the  floe,  the 
tide  was  running  two  knots  to  the  northward,  and 
as  the  ice  on  which  we  stood  had  been  formed  only 
within  the  last  fortnight,  and  a  sheet  as  substantial 
as  this  had  before  been  carried  away  by  the  stream, 
it  was  impossible  not  to  feel  some  apprehension 
lest  we  might  thus  be  detached  from  the  shore,  an 
accident  that  has  been  known  to  happen  to  Esqui- 
maux ere  now,*  and  has  probably  more  frequently 
befallen  them,  when  none  have  survived  to  tell  the 
tale. 

As  we  returned  towards  the  land,  we  came  to  a 
small  rising  on  the  level  surface  of  the  floe  not 
larger  than  a  common  molehill,  and  of  much  the 
same  shape,  at  which  one  of  the  Esquimaux  im- 
mediately stopped.  His  companions,  still  walking 
on,  called  us  away,  explaining  that  what  we  saw 
was  the  work  of  a  seal,  and  that  it  was  probable 
the  animal  was  about  to  complete  his  hole  and  to 
come  up  on  the  ice,  in  which  case  the  man  would 
endeavour  to  kill  him.  We  watched  the  man  at 
the  hole,  however,  with  a  glass,  for  more  than  half 
on  hour,  observing  him  constantly  putting  his  head 

*  Crantz,  London  edition,  1820,  Appendix,  p.  310. 


OF  A   NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


269 


\e  held 
^ns  ev- 

ley  had 
ith  one 
[lich  di- 
^ere  by 
Je  were 
t  of  tho 
part  of 
floe,  the 
Bird,  and 
tied  only 
bstantial 
)  stream, 
ehension 
hore,  an 
o  Esqui- 
equently 
3  tell  the 

ame  to  a 
floe  not 
nuch  the 
laux  im- 
\  walking 

we  saw 
probable 
lo  and  to 
an  would 
e  man  at 
than  half 

his  head 

.  310. 


down  towards  the  ice,  as  if  in  the  act  of  listening 
for  the  seal,  but  without  otherwise  changing  his  po- 
sition ;  after  which  he  followed  us  on  board  with- 
out  success. 

If,  however,  a  man  has  any  reason  to  suppose 
that  a  seal  is  at  work  beneath,  he  immediately  at- 
taches himself  to  the  place,  and  seldom  leaves  it 
till  he  has  succeeded  in  killing  the  animal.     For 
this  purpose,  he  first  builds  a  snow-wall  about  four 
feet  in  height,  to  shelter  him  from  the  wind,  and, 
seating  himself  under  the  lee  of  it,  deposites  his 
spear,  lines,  and  other  implements  upon  several 
little  forked  sticks  inserted  into  the  snow,  in  order 
to  prevent  the  smallest  noise  being  made  in  moving 
them  when  wanted.     But  the  most  curious  pre- 
caution to  the  same  effect  consists  in  tying  his  own 
knees   together  with  a  thong,  so  securely  as  to 
prevent  any  rustling  of  his  clothes,  which  might 
otherwise  alarm  the  animal.     In  this  situation  a 
man  will  sit  quietly  sometimes  for  hours  together, 
attentively  listening  to  any  noise  made  by  the  seal, 
and  sometimes  using  the  keip-kuttuk,  an  instrument 
hereafter  described,  in  order  to  ascertain  whether 
the  animal  is  still  at  work  below.     When  he  sup. 
poses  the  hole  to  be  nearly  completed,  he  cautious- 
ly lifts  his  spear,  to  which  the  line  has  been  pre- 
viously  attached,  and,  as  soon  as  the  blowing  of  the 
seal  is  distinctly  heard,  and  the  ice  consequently 
very  thin,  he  drives  it  into  him  with  the  force  of 
both  arms,  and  then  cuts  away  with  his  panna  the 
remaining  crust  of  ice,  to  enable  him  to  repeat  the 
wounds  and  get  him  out.     The  ncitlek  is  the  only 
seal  killed  in  this  manner,  and,  being  the  smallest, 
is  held  while  struggling  either  simply  by  hand,  ot 

Z2 


H-T 


ll! 


1^ 


270       SECOND   VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 

by  putting  the  line  round  a  spear  with  the  point 
stuck  into  the  ice.  For  the  oguke,  the  line  is  pass- 
ed round  the  man's  leg  or  arm  ;  and  for  a  walrus, 
round  his  body,  his  feet  being  at  the  same  time 
firmly  set  against  a  hummock  of  ice,  in  which  po- 
sition these  people  can,  from  habit,  hold  against  a 
very  heavy  strain.  Boys  of  fourteen  or  fifteen 
years  of  age  consider  themselves  equal  to  the  kill- 
ing of  a  neitiek,  but  it  requires  a  full-grown  person 
to  master  either  of  the  larger  animals. 

On  the  17th,  a  number  of  the  Esquimaux  coming 
before  the  church  service,  we  gave  them  to  under- 
stand, by  the  sun,  that  none  could  be  admitted  be- 
fore noon,  when  they  quietly  remained  outside  the 
ships  till  divine  service  had  been  performed.  We 
then  endeavoured  to  explain  to  Iligliuk  that  every 
seventh  day  they  must  not  come  to  the  ships,  for, 
without  any  intention  of  offending,  they  had  be- 
come rather  an  annoyance  in  this  way.  They 
now  brought  with  them  a  great  many  little  canoes 
and  paddles,  sledges,  figures  of  men  and  women, 
and  other  toys,  most  of  them  already  bespoke  by 
the  officers  and  men,  and  the  rest  for  sale, 

Toolooak,  who  now  considered  himself  as  quite 
privileged  to  find  his  way  into  the  cabin  without 
a  conductor,  and  was  not  backward  in  thus  prac- 
tising his  newly-acquired  art  of  opening  and  shut- 
ting the  door,  sat  with  me  for  a  couple  of  hours  on 
the  18th,  quietly  drawing  faces  and  animals,  an  oc- 
cupation to  which  he  took  a  great  fancy  ;  and  we 
oilen  were  reminded,  by  this  circumstance,  of  a 
similar  propensity  displayed  by  his  amiable  coun- 
tryman, our  lamented  friend  John  Sackhouse. 
We  soon  found  that  Toolooak  possessed  a  capa- 


i 


U." 


OF  A   NORTHWEST  PASSAGE^ 


271 


le  point 
is  pass- 
walrus, 
ne  time 
fiich  po- 
Tainst  a 
•  fifteen 
the  kill- 
1  person 

I  coming 
0  under- 
tted  be- 
tside  the 
id.  We 
at  every 
hips,  for, 
had  be- 
.  They 
e  canoes 
women, 
ipoke  by 

as  quite 
without 
lus  prac- 
and  shut- 
hours  on 
Is,  an  oc- 
and  we 
ice,  of  a 
)le  coun- 
Lckhouse. 
d  a  capa- 


city equal  to  anything  he  chose  to  take  an  interest 
in  learning ;  and  could  he,  at  his  present  age, 
have  been  voluntarily  removed  from  his  compan- 
ions, and  his  attention  directed  to  the  acquirement 
of  higher  branches  of  knowledge  than  that  of  catch- 
ing seals,  he  would  have  amply  repaid  any  pains  be- 
stowed upon  his  education.  I  had  always  enter- 
tained great  objection  to  taking  any  such  individu- 
al from  his  home,  on  the  doubtful  chance  of  bene- 
fiting himself,  or  of  his  doing  any  service  to  the 
public  as  an  interpreter.  My  scruples  on  this  bead 
had  hitherto  been  confined  to  the  consideration  due 
to  the  individual  himself,  and  to  the  relatives  he 
leaves  behind.  In  our  present  case,  however,  not 
the  smallest  public  advantage  could  be  derived  from 
it ;  for  it  had  long  ago  become  evident  that  we 
shoalJ  soon  know  more  of  the  Esquimaux  language 
than  ar»y  of  them  were  likely  to  learn  of  English 
in  aiiy  reasonable  period  of  time.  I  was  there- 
fore far  from  desiring  to  receive  from  Toolooak  an 
answer  in  the  affirmative,  when  I  to-day  plainly 
put  the  question  to  him,  whether  he  would  go  with 
me  to  Kablaona  itoona  (European  country).  Never 
was  a  moie  decisive  negative  given  than  Too- 
looak gave  to  this  proposal.  He  eagerly  repeated 
the  word  wa-c)  (no)  half  a  dozen  times,  and  then 
told  me  that  if  he  went  away  his  father  would  cry. 
This  simple  but  irresistible  appeal  to  paternal  af- 
fection, his  decisive  manner  of  making  it,  and  the 
feehngs  by  which  his  reply  was  evidently  dictated, 
Wfire  just  what  could  have  been  wished.  No  moro 
could  be  necessary  to  convince  those  who  saw  it, 
that  these  people  may  justly  lay  equal  claim  with 
ourselves  to  these  common  feelings  of  our  nature  ; 


j  i'^ 


■i. 


13 


r«HiHi,,7,"7,i;i( 


272        SECOND  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 

and,  having  once  satisfied  myself  of  this,  I  deter, 
mined  never  again  to  excite  in  Toolooak's  mind 
another  disagreeable  sensation,  by  talking  to  him 
on  this  subject. 

Besides  the  toys  and  models  I  have  mentioned 
above,  as  articles  of  barter  with  these  people,  we 
also  employed  them  more  usefully  in  making  wood, 
en  shades  for  the  eyes,  after  their  own  method,  as 
the  time  was  fast  approaching  when  some  such 
precaution  would  become  necessary  to  guard  the 
eyes  from  the  excessive  glare  of  reflected  light. 
There  was  also  a  considerable  trade  established  in 
mittens,  which  being  made  of  prepared  sealskin, 
and  nearly  water-tight,  were  particularly  service- 
able to  our  men  when  constantly  handling  the  lead, 
lines  in  the  summer.  In  this  manner  we  contri- 
ved to  turn  our  new  acquaintance  to  some  little  ac- 
count. 

Among  the  natives  who  visited  the  Fury  to-day 
was  Ewerat,  of  whom  I  have  already  spoken  as 
Ang-et-kook,  or  chief  sorcerer  of  the  tribe,  a  dis- 
tinction  with  which  he  had  made  some  of  our  gen- 
tlemen  acquainted  at  one  of  their  earliest  visits  to 
the  huts.  Being  desirous  of  seeing  him  perform 
Bome  of  the  tricks  which  had  acquired  for  him  this 
pre-eminence,  I  requested  him  to  indulge  me  with 
a  sight  of  them.  After  some  little  demur,  he  be- 
gan to  make  his  lips  quiver,  then  moved  his  nose 
up  and  (town,  gradually  closed  his  eyes,  and  in- 
creased the  violence  of  his  grimaces  till  every  fea- 
ture was  hideously  distorted ;  at  the  same  time,  he 
moved  his  head  rapidly  from  side  to  side,  uttering 
sometimes  a  snuffling  sound,  and  at  others  a  ra- 
ving sort  of  cry.     Having  worked  himself  into  this 


,l<''-yf,>m^ 


OF   A   NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


273 


deter- 
3  mind 
;o  him 

itioned 
pie,  we 
;  wood- 
hod,  as 
le  such 
ird  the 
1  light, 
ished  in 
ealskin, 
service- 
he  I'jad- 
contri- 
ittlv3  ac- 

jr  to-day 
oken  as 
a  dis- 
)ur  gen- 
visits  to 
perform 
him  this 
me  with 
•,  he  be- 
his  nose 
and  in- 
rery  fea- 
time,  he 
uttering 
rs  a  ra- 
into  this 


ridiculous  kind  of  phrensy,  which  lasted,  perhaps, 
from  twenty  to  thirty  seconds,  he  suddenly  discon- 
tinued it,  and  suffered  his  features  to  relax  into  their 
natural  form ;  but  the  motion  of  his  head  seemed 
to  have  so  stupified  him,  as  indeed  it  well  might, 
that  there  remained  an  unsual  vacancy  and  a  drow- 
sy stare  upon  his  countenance  for  some  time  after- 
ward. Being  pressed  to  repeat  this  piece  of  buf- 
foonery, he  did  so  two  or  three  times ;  and  on  one 
occasion  Togolat  asked  him,  in  a  serious  tone,  some 
questions  respecting  me,  which  he  as  seriously  an- 
swered. In  general,  however,  the  women  paid  lit- 
tle attention  to  his  grimaces,  and  the  whole  ended 
with  a  hearty  laugh  from  all  parties.        ^     ♦-^ 

I  had  to-day  some  conversation  with  a  woman 
named  Appokiuk,  whom  Iligliuk  had  mentioned  as 
having  seen  Kabloona  people  before  us.  This 
woman  was  gifted,  however,  with  such  a  volubility 
of  tongue,  that  speaking,  as  she  did,  in  a  language 
very  imperfectly  known  to  us,  she  gave  no  time  for 
questions,  and  therefore  afforded  little  information. 
All  we  coiild  make  out  for  certain  was,  that  she 
had,  within  a  year  past,  seen  two  Kabloona  oomiak 
(whether  ships  or  boats  was  still  doubtful*),  and 
that  her  husband  was  now  far  away.  From  all 
this  we  concluded  that  she  had  been  far  enough  to 
the  southward  to  see  the  Hudson's  Bay  ships  in  the 
course  of  their  annual  voyage;  and  this  account 
gave  us  very  sanguine  hopes  of  being  thus  able  to 
communicate  with  them  by  means  ol  some  of  the 
Esquimaux. 

On  the  20th,  a  number  of  our  new  friends  hav- 

*  These  people  apply  the  word  oomiak  lo  any  vessel  larger 
ttian  a  canoe. 


It  \S' 


L'i. 


•-^^^ 


274       SECOND  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


ing  been  allowed  upon  the  upper  deck,  an  old  wom- 
an named  Ayug-ga-look  stole  our  cooper's  punchi 
which  she  was  showing  to  her  companions  along- 
side the  Hecla  just  afterward,  when  Lieutenant 
Hoppner  observed  i!,  and  sent  her  back  with  an 
escort.  It  was  impossible  not  to  admit  that  the 
fault  was  chiefly  on  our  side,  in  permitting  these 
poor  people  to  roam  about  too  freely  amid  tempt- 
ations  which  scarcely  anything  human  could  have 
withstood ;  but  as  it  was  necessary  to  take  some 
notice  of  it,  I  went  through  nearly  the  same  process 
as  with  Kaoongut,  and  dismissed  her  with  great  ap. 
pearance  of  indignation  to  the  huts.  We  were  glad 
to  find  that  their  wants  had  there  been  well  suppli. 
ed  to-day,  three  seals  having  been  caught.  They 
had  lately,  indeed,  been  tolerably  successful  in  gen- 
eral, and  required  but  little  of  our  assistance.  Mr. 
Elder  observing  one  of  their  dogs  attacked  by  sev* 
eral  wolves,  and  hastening  to  the  spot  with  his  gun, 
found  that  these  animals  had  made  such  quick  work 
in  the  partition  of  their  prey,  that,  though  he  reach- 
ed the*  scene  of  action  in  a  few  minutes,  and  the 
dog  had  at  first  made  considerable  resistance,  only 
one  of  its  hind  legs  remained,  each  wolf  having  run 
off  with  its  share.  It  is  remarkable  that  these  crea- 
tures had  never  entered  our  traps  since  the  moon 
had  declined  to  the  southward,  whereas  not  a  night 
elapsed  before  that  without  their  going  to  them. 
The  Esquimaux  had  in  theirs  caught  only  a  fox. 

During  the  eclipse  of  the  sun  which  took  place 
to-day,  the  diminution  of  light  was  very  consider- 
able, but  the  weather  was  unfavourable  for  observ- 
ing it  for  any  useful  purpose.  Captain  Lyon  re- 
marked,  that  some  of  the  Esquimaux,  who  were  on 


,■1         ! 


OP  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


275 


id  wom- 
punchi 
\  along- 
jutenant 
with  an 
that  the 
ig  these 

I  tempt- 
ild  have 
ke  some 
)  process 
Treat  ap- 
^ere  glad 

II  suppli- 
.  They 
1  in  gen- 
ce.    Mr. 

by  sev- 

his  gun, 

lick  work 

iC  reach- 

and  the 
|nce,  only 
,ving  run 
ese  crea- 
,he  moon 
it  a  night 
to  them. 

a  fox. 
lok  place 

lonsider- 
|r  observ- 
Lyon  re- 

were  on 


board  the  Hecla  at  the  time,  were  a  good  deal 
alarmed  at  this  phenomenon,  which,  indeed,  made  a 
general  bustle  among  them.  Two  of  them  were 
found  on  the  ice  lying  on  their  faces,  but  it  was  not 
ascertained  whether  their  superstitions  on  this  sub- 
ject were  the  same  as  those  of  their  brethren  in 
Greenland. 

Mr.  Henderson  being  desirous  of  seeing  some- 
thing of  the  customs  of  these  people  during  the 
hours  of  darkness,  obtained  my  permission  to  ))ass 
the  niglit  at  the  huts,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Grif. 
fiths.  Soon  after  they  left  the  ships  in  the  evening 
it  came  on  to  blow  strong  from  the  northwest,  with 
much  snowdrift,  so  that,  losing  the  tracks,  they  with 
difficulty  found  the  village.  Returning  on  board  in 
the  course  of  the  next  forenoon,  we  were  pleased 
to  hear  that  they  had  met  with  every  attention,  and 
especially  from  Okotook,  with  whom  they  lodged. 
As  they  had  slept  in  Kaoongut's  hut,  one  side  of 
which  was  occupied  by  Okotook  and  his  family,  the 
old  fellow  thought  it  a  good  opportunity  to  make 
up  the  quarrel  occasioned  by  his  dishonesty ;  and 
he  accordingly  made  his  appearance  on  board  to- 
day  for  the  first  time  since  that  event.  Toolooak 
was  deputed  to  bring  his  father  down  into  the  cab- 
in, where  a  formal  reconciliation  took  place,  to  the 
great  satisfaction  of  the  latter,  who  had  found  out 
that  to  be  out  of  favour  with  us  was  attended  with 
the  serious  consequence  of  being  also  out  of  pock- 
et. It  was  laughable  to  observe  the  pains  he  now 
took  to  impress  on  the  minds  of  every  person  he 
saw  that  he  was  no  longer  a  iiglikioke,  by  which 
name  he  had  lately  been  distinguished ;  for  he  seem- 
ed to  think  that  my  receiving  him  again  into  fa- 
vour was  a  perfect  absolutioii  from  his  offence. 


'II 

If 
it 


%.M 


P 


;/ilUii 


,11 


i. 


it: 


"276     secojH)  voyage  tor  the  discovery 


On  the  23d  I  paid  another  visit  to  the  huts,  ani 
found  the  greater  part  of  the  men  absent  on  their 
sealing  excursions.  We  thought,  however,  that, 
except  on  pressing  occasions,  one  man  was  left  in 
«ach  hut  to  keep  an  eye  on  the  conduct  of  the 
women,  and  this  was  the  case  to-day.  The  huts 
had  in  the  interior  assumed  a  somewhat  different 
appearance  since  I  had  last  seen  them ;  the  roofs 
were  much  blackened  by  the  smoke  of  the  lamps, 
and  the  warmth  had  in  most  parts  given  them 
a  glazed  and  honey-combed  surface;  indeed,  the 
whole  of  the  walls  had  become  much  thinner  by 
thawing,  so  that  the  light  was  more  plainly  visible 
through  them.  The  snow  also,  on  which  the  lamps 
stood,  was  considerably  worn  away,  so  as  to  de- 
stroy, in  great  measure,  the  regularity  of  the  origi- 
nal plan  of  construction.  To  these  changes  might 
be  added  that  of  a  vast  quantity  of  blood  and  oil 
that  now  defaced  the  purity  of  the  snowy  floor,  and 
emitted  effluvia  not  very  agreeable  to  European 
noses ;  so  that,  upon  the  whole,  it  may  be  imagined 
that  our  first  impressions  of  the  comfort  and  clean- 
liness of  these  habitations  were  more  favourable 
than  their  present  state  was  calculated  to  excite. 

To  the  original  apartments  they  had  now  also 
added  various  small  places  for  stores,  communica- 
ting with  the  huts  from  within,  and  looking  some- 
thing like  our  ovens,  though  without  any  door  to 
them.  In  some  of  these  they  deposited  their  upper 
jackets,  which  they  usually  take  off  in  coming  into 
their  huts,  as  we  do  a  greatcoat ;  while  in  smaller 
ones,  like  little  shelves  in  a  recess,  they  kept  vari- 
ous articles  of  their  Kablooana  riches.  These  and 
similar  alterations  and  additions  they  were  constant- 


OF   A   NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


277 


i 


ts,  and 
n  their 
r,  that, 
left  in 
of  the 
[\e  huts 
lifferent 
le  roofs 
5  lamps, 
jn  them 
eed,  the 
nner  by 
y  visible 
tie  lamps 
5  to  de- 
:he  origi- 
es  might 
\  and  oil 
loor,  and 
juropean 
magined 
[id  clean- 
.vourable 
excite, 
iow  also 
imunica- 
g  some- 
door  to 
lir  upper 
ling  into 
smaller 
^ept  vari- 
Ihese  and 
lonstant- 


l 


ly  making  throughout  the  winter ;  for  their  inex- 
haustible materials  being  always  at  hand,  it  required 
but  little  time  and  labour  to  adopt  any  arrangement 
that  might  suit  their  convenience. 

After  distributing  a  number  of  presents  in  the 
first  four  huts,  I  found,  on  entering  the  last,  that 
Pootooalook  had  been  successful  in  bringing  in  a 
seal,  over  which  two  elderly  women  were  standing, 
armed  with  large  knives,  their  hands  and  faces  be- 
smeared with  blood,  and  delight  and  exultation  de- 
picted on  their  countenances.     Thej'  had  just  per- 
formed the  first     peration  of  dividing  the  animal 
into  two  parts,  u.  d  thus  laying  open  the  intestines. 
These  being  taken  out,  and  all  the  blood  carefully 
baled  up  and  put  into  the  ootkooseek,  or  cooking- 
pot,  over  the  fire,  they  separated  the  head  and  flip- 
pers from  the  carcass,  and  then  divided  the  ribs. 
All  the  loose  scraps  were  put  into  the  pot  for  im- 
mediate use,  except  such  as  the  two  butchers  now 
and  then  crammed  into  their  mouths,  or  distributed 
to  the  numerous  and    eager  by-standers  for  still 
more  immediate  consumption.     Of  these  morsels 
the  children  came  in  for  no  small  share,  every  lit- 
tle urchin  that  could  find  its  way  to  the  slaughter- 
house running  eagerly  in,  and,  between  the  legs  of 
the  men  and  women,  presenting  its  mouth  for  a 
large  lump  of  raw  flesh,  just  as  an  English  child 
of  the  same  age  might  do  for  a  piece  of  sugar-can- 
dy.    Every  now  and  then,  also,  a  dog  would  make 
his  way  towards  the  reeking  carcass,  and,  when  in 
the  act  of  seizing  upon  some  delicate  part,  was  sent 
off  yelping  by  a  heavy  blow  with  the  handles  of 
the  knives.     When  all  the  flesh  is  disposed  of,  for 
a  portion  of  which  each  of  the  women  from .  the 
Vol.  L — A  a 


I 


:  i: 


I"  > 


'if  :y 


■:'i\ 


'H.: 


ru 


iiff 


^. 


^.Ji^  -^  .0- 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0 


1.1 


11.25 


LAW2A     mi5 
lu  l&i   12.2 

US.   12.0 


itt 

Hi 


I 


.% 


^ 


^^ 


Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


^ 


4^       A 


V 


<«^. 


'■: 


33  WHT  MAIN  STRUT 
WIUTM.N.Y.  MSM 

(7U)I73  4S03 


4^ 


278       SECOND  VOYAGE   FOR   THE   DISCOVERY 

Other  huts  usually  brings  her  ootkooseek,  the  blub- 
ber still  remains  attached  to  the  skin,  from  which 
it  is  separated  the  last ;  and  the  business  being  now 
completed,  the  two  parts  of  the  hide  are  rolled  up 
and  laid  by,  together  with  the  store  of  flesh  and 
blubber.  During  the  dissection  of  their  seals,  they 
have  a  curious  custom  of  sticking  a  thin  fllament 
of  skin,  or  of  some  part  of  the  intestines,  upon  the 
foreheads  of  the  boys,  who  are  themselves  extreme- 
ly fond  of  it,  it  being  intended,  as  Iligliuk  after- 
ward informed  me,  to  make  them  fortunate  seal- 
catchers. 

The  seals  which  they  take  during  the  winter  are 
of  two  kinds — the  Neitiek^  or  small  seal  (phoca 
hispida),  and  the  Oguke,  or  large  seal  {phoca  bar- 
bata).  These  and  the  Ei-u-ek,  or  walrus,  consti- 
tute their  means  of  subsistence  at  this  season  ;  but, 
on  this  particular  part  of  the  coast,  the  latter  are 
not  very  abundant,  and  they  chiefly  catch  the  nei- 
tiek.  The  animal  we  had  now  seen  dissected  was 
of  that  kind,  and  with  young  at  the  time.  A  small 
one  taken  out  of  it  had  a  beautiful  skin,  which,  both 
in  softness  and  colour,  very  much  resembled  raw 
silk ;  but  no  inducement  could  make  Pootooalook 
part  with  it,  he  having  destined  it  for  that  night's 
supper. 

After  quitting  this  scene  of  filth,  I  found,  on  re- 
turning  to  Kaoongut's  hut,  that  Toolooak  had  been 
no  less  successful  than  his  brother,  and  that  the 
same  operation  was  also  performing  here.  Hav- 
ing, therefore,  explained  to  Iligliuk  that  none  of 
them  were  to  come  to  the  shipt,  the  following  day, 
I  had  no  inclination  to  see  the  process  repeated,  and 
was  glad  to  take  my  leave. 


1: 


OP  A   NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


279 


B  blub- 
which 
ig  now 
lied  up 
sh  and 
Is,  they 
ilament 
pon  the 
ittreme- 
k  after- 
.te  seal- 

nter  are 
(^jphocci 
,oca  bar* 
I,  consti- 
on ;  but, 
Ltter  are 
the  nei- 
cted  was 
A  small 
ich,  both 
)led  raw 
jtooalook 
It  night's 

id,  on  re- 
had  been 

that  the 
|e.     Hav- 

none  of 
ving  day, 
iated,  and 


On  the  28th,  Okotook  and  Iligliuk  coming  on 
board,  an  occurrence  took  place,  which,  as  it  shows 
the  disposition  of  the  Esquimaux,  and  especially 
of  one  of  the  most  intelligent  and  interesting  among 
them,  I  may  here  relate.  Some  time  before,  Iligli- 
uk, who,  from  the  superior  neatness  and  cleanliness 
with  which  she  performed  her  work,  was  by  this 
time  in  great  request  as  a  seamstress,  had  promised 
to  cover  for  me  a  little  model  of  a  canoe,  and  had, 
in  fact,  sent  it  to  me  by  the  sergeant  of  marines, 
•;hough  I  had  not  rightly  understood  from  the  latter 
from  which  of  the  women  it  came.  Believing  that 
she  had  failed  in  her  promise,  I  now  taxed  her  with 
it,  when  she  immediately  defended  herself  with  con- 
siderable warmth  and  seriousness,  but  without  ma- 
king me  comprehend  her  meaning.  Finding  that 
she  was  wasting  her  words  upon  me,  she  said  no 
more  till  an  hour  afterward,  when  the  sergeant  ac- 
cidentally coming  into  the  cabin,  she,  with  the  ut- 
most composure,  but  with  a  decision  of  manner  pe- 
culiar to  herself,  took  hold  of  his  arm  to  engage 
his  attention,  and  then  looking  him  steadfastly  in  the 
face,  accused  him  of  not  having  faithfully  executed 
her  commission  to  me.  The  mistake  was  thus  in- 
stantly explained,  and  I  thanked  Iligliuk  for  her 
canoe ;  but  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  describe  the 
quiet,  yet  proud  satisfaction  displayed  in  her  coun- 
tenance at  having  thus  cleared  herself  from  the  im- 
putation of  a  breach  of  promise. 

There  being  among  the  presents  with  which  we 
were  supplied  a  number  of  pikes,  we  presented  two 
or  three  of  these  from  each  ship  to  the  most  de- 
serving of  the  Esquimaux,  to  serve  as  staves  for 
their  spears ;   and  valuable  ones  they  proved   to 


i 


I    ; 


i 


•I 


280        SECOND  VOYAGE   FOR  THE   DISCOVERY 


them.  Upon  each  pike  were  marked,  by  small 
nails  driven  into  the  wood,  the  words  "  Fury  and 
Hecla,  1822." 

Almost  the  whole  of  these  people  were  now  af- 
fected with  violent  colds  and  coughs,  occasioned  by 
a  considerable  thawing  that  had  lately  taken  place 
in  their  huts,  so  as  to  wet  their  clothes  and  bedding  ; 
though  we  had,  as  yet,  experienced  no  great  increase 
of  temperature.  From  the  nature  of  their  habita- 
tions, however,  their  comfort  was  greater,  and  their 
chance  of  heahh  better,  when  the  cold  was  more  se- 
vere. On  this  account,  they  began  to  make  fresh 
alterations  in  these  curious  dwelling-places,  either 
by  building  the  former  apartments  two  or  three  feet 
higher,  or  adding  others,  that  they  might  be  less 
crowded.  In  building  a  higher  hut,  they  construct- 
ed it  over,  and,  as  it  were,  concentric  with  the  old 
one,  which  is  then  removed  from  within.  It  is  cu- 
rious to  consider  that,  in  all  these  alterations,  the 
object  kept  in  view  was  coolness^  and  this  in  houses 
formed  of  snow ! 

Some  of  them  had  caught  a  wolf  in  their  trap ; 
but  we  found  that  nothing  less  than  extreme  want 
could  have  induced  them  to  eat  the  flesh  of  that 
which  we  had  given  them,  as,  now  that  they  had  oth- 
er food,  they  would  not  touch  it.  Only  four  wolves 
at  this  time  remained  alive  of  the  original  pack,  and 
these  were  constantly  prowling  about  near  the  ships 
or  the  village. 

The  month  of  February  closed  with  the  thermom- 
eter at  — 32°,  and,  though  the  sun  had  now  attain- 
ed a  meridian  altitude  of  nearly  sixteen  degrees,  and 
enlivened  us  with  his  presence  above  the  horizon  for 
ten  hours  in  the  day,  no  sensible  effect  had  yet  been 


! 

i 


OP  A    NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


281 


small 

'  and 

iw  af- 
ed  by 
place 
ding ; 
urease 
labita- 
i  their 
jre  se- 
3  fresh 

either 
:ee  feet 
be  less 
istruct- 
the  old 
[t  is  cu- 
)ns,  the 

houses 

r  trap ; 
le  want 

of  that 
lad  oth- 

wolves 
ick,  and 
he  ships 

ermom- 
V  attain- 
ees,  and 
izon  for 
yet  been 


produced  on  the  average  temperature  of  the  atmo- 
sphere. The  uniformly  white  surface  of  the  snow, 
on  which,  at  this  season,  the  sun's  rays  have  to  act, 
or,  rather,  leaving  them  nothing  to  act  upon,  is  much 
against  the  first  efforts  to  produce  a  thaw ;  but  our 
former  experience  of  the  astonishing  rapidity  with 
which  this  operation  is  carried  on,  when  once  the 
ground  begins  to  be  laid  bare,  served  in  some  meas- 
ure  to  reconcile  us  to  what  appeared  a  protraction 
of  the  cold  of  winter  not  to  have  been  expected  in 
our  present  latitude. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

A  Journey  performed  across  Winter  Island. — Sufferings  of  the 
Party  by  Frost.— Departure  of  some  of  the  Esijuimaux,  and 
\  separate  Village  established  on  the  Ice. — Various  Meteoro- 
logical Phenomena  — Okotook  and  his  Wife  brought  on  board. 
— Anecdotes  relating  to  them.— Ships  released  from  the  Ice 
by  sawing. 

Our  intercourse  with  the  Esquimaux  continued, 
and  many  occasions  occurred  in  which  they  display- 
ed great  good  humour,  and  a  degree  of  archness 
for  which  we  could  have  scarcely  given  them  credit. 

On  the  12th  Okotook  came,  according  to  an  ap- 
pointment previously  made,  with  a  sledge  and  six 
dogs,  to  give  me  a  ride  to  the  huts,  bringing  with 
him  his  son  Sioutkuk,  who,  with  ourselves,  made  up 
a  weight  of  near  four  hundred  pounds  upon  the 
sledge.  After  being  upset  twice,  and  stopping  at 
least  ten  times,  notwithstanding  the  incessant  bul* 

A  a2 


11 

4'  m  t| 


T';-, 


■■;4 


•J  I 


282        SECOND  VOYAGE  FOE  THE   DISCOVERY 


'  fili'il 


lying  of  Okotook,  and,  as  it  seemed  to  me,  more 
bodily  labour  on  his  part  to  steer  us  clear  of  acci- 
dents than  if  he  had  walked  the  whole  way,  we  at 
length  arrived  at  the  huts,  a  distance  of  two  miles, 
in  five-and-twenly  minutes.  Of  this  equipment 
and  their  usual  modes  of  travelling,  I  shall  have 
occasion  to  speak  more  fully  in  another  place. 

I  found  that  several  fresh  alterations  had  been 
made  in  the  huts  since  my  last  visit,  all,  however, 
of  the  same  kind,  and  having  in  view  the  same  ob- 
ject as  those  last  described.  In  these  alterations 
they  seem  to  consult  the  convenience  of  the  mo- 
ment, and  to  do  it  all  by  such  unanimous  consent, 
that  no  consultation  or  difference  of  opinion  ever 
appears  to  exist  about  it.  So  much  snowdrift  had 
now  collected  about  the  huts,  that  their  external 
appearance  was  as  much  altered  as  that  of  the  in- 
terior, and  it  was  difficult  to  trace  any  resemblance 
to  the  original  village,  or  even  to  perceive  its  pres- 
ent limits.  The  snow  was  now  as  high  as  the 
roofs  on  every  side,  so  that  one  might  walk  com- 
pletely over  them,  and,  but  for  the  round  plates  of 
ice  composing  the  windows,  without  suspecting  the 
little  hive  of  human  beings  that  was  comfortably 
established  below.  This,  however,  was  not  always 
done  with  impunity,  when  the  thawing  within  had 
too  much  weakened  the  roofs,  in  which  case  a  leg 
sometimes  made  its  way  through,  and  discovered  in 
what  parts  repairs  were  become  necessary.  The 
natives  were  at  this  time  extremely  well  furnished 
with  seals'  flesh  for  food  and  oil  for  their  lamps, 
and  all  they  would  accept  from  us  (except  meat, 
which  we  could  not  afford  to  give)  was  water,  and 
this  they  swallowed  in  such  quantities  whenever 


I 


OF  A   NOETHWEST  PASSAGE, 


283 


11 


ore 

Q  at 
lies, 
lent 
lave 

been 

3ver, 

i  ob- 

tions 

i  mo- 

isent, 
ever 

:thad 

ternal 

tie  in- 

plance 
pres- 

pis  the 
com- 

tes  of 

ig  the 
rtably 
Iways 
n  had 
a  leg 
red  in 
The 
nished 
lamps, 
meat, 
jr,  and 
enever 


they  came  to  the  ships,  that  it  was  impossible  to 
furnish  them  with  half  as  much  as  they  desired. 

We  had  before  this  time  communicated  to  Ayo- 
ket  and  his  countrymen  our  intention  of  sending  a 
party  of  our  people  to  the  northward  in  the  spring ; 
and  Captain  Lyon  had  displayed  to  him  all  the 
charms  of  a  brightly-polished  brass  kettle,  of  great- 
er magnitude  than  had,  perhaps,  ever  entered  into  an 
Esquimaux  imagination,  as  an  inducement,  among 
various  others,  for  him  to  accompany  the  Kabloonas 
in  their  excursion.  The  prospect  of  such  riches 
was  a  temptation  almost  irresistible ;  but  enterprise 
is  not  the  genius  of  an  Esquimaux ;  and  Ayoket, 
we  soon  began  to  perceive,  had  no  fancy  for  the 
proposed  trip,  which  all  his  friends  persisted  in  say- 
ing could  never  be  accomplished.  This  was  evi- 
dently to  be  attributed,  in  no  small  degree,  to  jeal- 
ousy of  any  one  individual  among  them  being  thus 
selected ;  and  the  brass  kettle  was  speedily  the 
means  of  increasing  the  distance  to  "Iligliuk's 
country"  from  sixteen  to  twenty-four  days*  jour- 
ney. We  had  long,  indeed,  observed  that  this  feel- 
ing of  jealousy  was  easily  excited  among  these  peo- 
ple ;  but,  what  is  extraordinary,  it  never  displayed 
itself  (as  is  most  usual)  among  themselves,  but  was 
entirely  vented  upon  us,  who  were,  though  innocent- 
ly, the  authors  of  it.  As  an  instance  of  this,  a  man 
of  the  name  of  Karretok  refused  to  take  from  me 
a  strong  and  useful  pair  of  scissors  as  a  present, 
because,  as  he  did  not  hesitate  to  assure  me,  I  had 
given  Okotook  a  pike,  which  was  more  valuable. 
To  show  him  that  this  temper  was  not  likely  to  pro. 
duce  anything  to  his  advantage,  I  took  back  the 
scissors,  and,  having  sent  him  away,  went  to  my 


M' 


i<*   : 


li 


I 


¥) 


fl. 


'■■■\ 


h**. 


284       SECOND  VOYAGE   FOR  THE   DISCOVERY 


dinner.  Going  accidentally  on  deck  an  hour  after- 
ward, I  found  Karretok  still  on  board,  who,  having 
had  time  to  reflect  on  his  folly,  now  came  up  to  me 
with  a  smiling  face,  and  begged  hard  for  the  scis- 
sors, which,  of  course,  he  did  not  get.  Many  sim- 
ilar instances  occurred,  both  to  Captain  Lyon  and 
myself. 

To  this  discouragement  on  the  part  of  his  friends, 
was  added,  on  that  of  Ayoket,  the  same  wavering 
and  inconstant  disposition  which  most  other  sava- 
ges possess,  rendering  it  impossible  to  place  any 
dependance  on  his  promises  and  intentions  for  two 
hours  together.  Indeed,  the  more  our  scheme  was 
pressed  upon  his  attention,  and  the  more  he  saw  of 
the  actual  preparations  for  the  journey,  the  less 
doubtful  his  intentions  became ;  and  arrangements 
were  therefore  made  for  completing  the  party  with- 
out him.  For  the  reasons  now  given,  it  was 
equally  impossible  even  to  direct  the  attention  of 
the  Esquimaux,  with  any  hope  of  success,  to  our 
scheme  of  their  conveying  letters  to  the  Hudson's 
Bay  settlements. 

Notwithstanding  the  inclemency  of  the  weather, 
some  of  the  Esquimaux  had,  by  the  foot  and  sledge 
marks,  found  their  way  to  the  ships  on  the  morning 
of  the  16th,  assuring  us,  as  we  found  to  be  too 
true,  that,  in  consequence  of  the  gale,  which  pre- 
vented their  going  out  for  seals,  they  had  not  any 
food,  nor  a  single  lamp  alight  in  the  village.  In 
the  course  of  the  following  day,  we  had  farther 
proofs  of  the  wretchedness  which  these  poor  peo- 
ple were  enduring  at  the  huts ;  for,  though  the 
weather  was  little  better  than  before,  above  forty 
men  and  womeni  besides  some  children,  came  down 


m 


OF  A   NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


285 


[ler- 

ving 

ome 

scis- 

sitn- 

i  and 

lends, 
ering 
sava- 
B  any 
)r  two 
le  was 
saw  of 
le  less 
3ments 
y  with- 
it   was 
ition  of 
to  our 
udson's 


reather, 
sledge 
norning 
be  too 
ch  pre- 
lot  any 
In 
farther 
Dor  peo- 
ugh  the 
ve  forty 
ne  down 


,ge. 


to  the  ships,  and  begged  with  more  than  their  usual 
earnestness  for  something  to  eat.  It  now  once 
more  became  an  act  of  humanity,  and  consequently 
of  duty,  to  supply  them  as  well  as  we  were  able ; 
and  all  were  admitted  to  partake  of  as  much  bread- 
dust  as  they  could  eat,  besides  a  quantity  which 
they  took  away  with  them.  It  had  been  long  since 
Okotook  and  Iligliuk  cared  to  accept  this  kind  of 
food  from  us,  partly  because  our  respect  for  the 
latter  generally  ensured  them  something  better, 
and  partly  because,  of  late,  they  had  procured  plenty 
of  seals  ;  to-day,  however,  they  devoured  it  eager- 
ly, and  seemed  very  well  satisfied  to  take  their 
share  with  the  others.  When  the  usual  time  of 
departure  came,  they  all  discovered  a  wish  to  re- 
main on  board  ;  but,  as  we  could  not  find  lodgings 
for  the  whole  tribe,  they  were  obliged  very  reluc- 
tantly to  return.  Nannow,  a  fine,  quiet  young 
man,  whose  native  country  is  near  Chesterfield  In- 
let, and  who,  having  only  a  sister  here,  used  to  live 
with  Okotook,  begged  very  hard  to  remain  on 
board ;  but,  as  I  did  not  like  to  give  the  preference 
to  one  in  particular,  he  also  took  his  leave. 

On  the  18th,  almost  evoi  y  man  from  the  huts 
was  out  seal-hunting,  and  three  or  four,  as  the 
women  informed  us,  had  gone  to  a  considerable 
distance  for  walruses,  and  with  the  intention  of  re- 
maining out  for  the  night  in  a  snow  hut.  While 
the  men  were  thus  employed,  their  wives  did  not 
fail  to  use  their  endeavours  also  to  procure  food ; 
and  I  believe  that  every  female  belonging  to  the 
village,  without  a  single  exception,  made  her  ap- 
pearance at  the  ships  to-day,  and  was  supplied 
with  a  proportion  of  bread-dust  for  her  family.     It 


I;  :i; 


M 

■  i  Km 

1:  (I 


111  : 

'.\    "'■ '  '' ' 


1 


I 


i'' 


286        SECOND  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


was  pleasing  to  observe  that  they  were  always 
punctual  in  returning  the  buckets  and  bags  which 
we  lent  them  for  carrying  out  their  provisions. 

The  endeavours  we  had  lately  been  making  to 
gain  from  the  Esquimaux  some  knowledge  of  the 
geographical  features  of  the  land  to  the  northward, 
had  at  length  been  crowned  with  greater  success 
than  we  had  anticipated,  and  some  information  of 
a  very  gratifying  and  interesting  nature  thus  ob- 
tained.  I  shall  here,  therefore,  give  some  account 
of  that  information,  and  of  the  progressive  steps 
by  which  it  was  communicated,  which  may,  at  the 
same  time,  serve  to  show  the  kind  and  degree  of 
dependance  that  is  to  be  placed  on  geographical 
notices  thus  obtained. 

The  first  attempt  made  in  this  way  was  bj'^  pla- 
cing several  sheets  of  paper  before  Iligliuk,  and 
roughly  drawing  on  a  large  scale  an  outline  of  the 
land  about  Repulse  Bay  and  Lyon  Inlet,  and  ter- 
minating at  our  present  winter-quarters,  Iligliuk 
was  not  long  in  comprehending  what  we  desired, 
and  with  the  pencil  continued  the  outline,  making 
the  land  trend,  as  we  supposed,  to  the  northeast- 
ward, and  giving  the  names  of  the  principal  pla- 
ces as  we  proceeded.  The  scale  being  large,  it 
was  necessary,  when  she  came  to  the  end  of  one 
piece  of  paper,  to  tack  on  another,  till  at  length 
she  had  filled  ten  or  twelve  sheets,  and  had  com- 
pletely lost  the  sight  of  Winter  Island  (called  Ne^ 
yuning-EiUdiia)  at  the  other  end  of  the  table.  The 
idea  entertained  from  this  first  attempt  was,  that 
we  should  find  the  coast  indented  by  several  inlets, 
and  in  some  parts  much  loaded  with  ice,  especially 
at  one  strait  to  the  northward  of  her  native  island 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


287 


ways 
/hich 

i. 

►f  the 
ward, 
iccess 
ion  of 
IS  ob- 
•count 
steps 
at  the 
ree  of 
xphical 

by  pla- 
ik,  and 
J  of  the 
nd  ter- 
Iligliuk 
lesired, 
making 
theast- 
pal  pla- 
arge,  it 
of  one 
length 
d  corn- 
ed Ne- 
.     The 
^as,  that 
1  inlets, 
pecially 
te  island 


Amitioke,  which  seemed  to  lead  in  a  direction  very 
much  to  the  westward. 

Within  a  week  after  this,  several  other  charts 
were  drawn  by  the  natives  in  a  similar  way,  prin- 
cipally  by  the  desire  of  Captain  Lyon  and  Mr. 
Griffiths,  who  took  great  pains  to  acquire  informa- 
tion of  this  nature,  and  sent  me  copies  of  these 
productions.  The  coast  was  here  delineated  as 
before,  on  a  very  large  scale,  but  much  more  in 
detail,  many  more  islands,  bays,  and  names  being 
inserted.  It  was  observable,  however,  that  no  two 
charts  much  resembled  each  other,  and  that  the 
greater  number  of  them  still  less  resembled  the 
truth  in  those  parts  of  the  coast  with  which  we 
were  well  acquainted. 

Early  in  the  morning  the  Esquimaux  had  been 
observed  in  motion  at  the  huts ;  and  several  sledg- 
es, drawn  by  dogs  and  heavily  laden,  went  off  to 
the  westward.  On  going  out  to  the  village,  we 
found  one  half  of  the  people  had  quitted  their  late 
habitations,  taking  with  them  every  article  of  their 
property,  and  had  gone  over  the  ice,  we  knew  not 
where,  in  quest  of  more  abundant  food.  The 
wretched  appearance  which  the  interior  of  the  huts 
now  presented  baffles  all  description.  In  each  of 
the  larger  ones  some  of  the  apartments  were  either 
wholly  or  in  part  deserted,  the  very  snow  which 
composed  the  beds  and  fireplaces  having  been  turn- 
ed up,  that  no  article  might  be  left  behind.  Even 
the  bare  walls,  whose  original  colour  was  scarcely 
perceptible  for  lampblack,  blood,  and  other  filth, 
were  not  left  perfect,  large  holes  having  been  made 
in  the  sides  and  roofs  for  the  convenience  of  hand- 
ing out  the  goods  and  chattels.     The  sight  of  a 


V^ 


iliiiv 


"::i 


rV' 


<  rl 


■;i- 

l; 

I 


! 


.>il;^^ 


"fi 


;!|! 


288       SECOND  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


deserted  habitation  is  at  all  times  calculated  to  ex- 
cite in  the  mind  a  sensation  of  dreariness  and  des- 
olation, especially  when  we  have  lately  seen  it  fill- 
ed with  cheerful  inhabitants ;  but  the  feeling  is 
heightened  rather  than  diminished  when  a  small 
portion  of  these  inhabitants  remain  behind  to  en- 
dure the  wretchedness  which  such  a  scene  exhibits. 
This  was  now  the  case  at  the  village,  where,  though 
the  remaining  tenants  of  each  hut  had  combined  to 
occupy  one  of  the  apartments,  a  great  part  of  the 
bed-places  were  still  bare,  and  the  wind  and  drift 
blowing  in  through  the  holes  which  they  had  not 
yet  taken  the  trouble  to  stop  up.     The  old  man 
Hikkeiera  and  his  wife  occupied  a  hut  by  them- 
selves, without  any  lamp,  or  a  single  ounce  of  meat 
belonging  to  them ;  while  three  small  skins,  on 
which  the  former  was  lying,  were  all  that  they 
possessed   in   the   way   of  blankets.      Upon  the 
whole,  I  never  beheld  a  more  miserable  spectacle, 
and  it  seemed  a  charity  to  hope  that  a  violent  and 
constant  cough,  with  which  the  old  man  was  afflict- 
ed, would  speedily  combine  with  his  age  and  infir- 
mities to  release  him  from  his  present  sufferings. 
Yet,  in  the  midst  of  all  this,  he  was  cheerful,  nor 
was  there  a  gloomy  countenance  to  be  seen  at  the 
village.     Almost  all  the  men  were  out ;  and  some 
of  them  had  been  led  so  far  to  sea  upon  the  float- 
ing and  detached  masses  of  ice  in  pursuit  of  wal- 
ruses, that  Captain  Lyon,  who  observed  their  sit- 
uation from  the  ships,  had  it  in  contemplation,  in 
the  course  of  the  evening,  to  launch  one  of  the 
small  boats  to  go  to  their  assistance.     They  seem- 
ed, however,  to  entertain  no  apprehensions  them- 
selves, from  a  confidence,  perhaps,  that  the  south- 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


289 


ex- 

des- 

:fill- 

ig  is 

jmall 

3  en- 

ibits. 

lOUgh 

led  to 

)f  the 

I  drift 

id  not 

1  man 

them- 

f  meat 

ns,  on 

t  they 

to  the 

ctacle, 

nt  and 

afflict- 

d  infir- 

brings. 

•ul,  nor 
at  the 

Id  some 

,e  float. 

lof  waU 
leir  sit- 
ition,  in 
of  the 

ly  seem- 
them- 
south- 


east  wind  might  be  depended  upon  for  keeping  the 
ice  close  home  upon  the  shore.  It  is  certain,  not- 
withstanding, that  no  degree  of  precaution,  nor 
any  knowledge  of  the  winds  and  tides,  can  render 
this  otherwise  than  a  most  perilous  mode  of  obtain- 
ing subsistence ;  and  it  was  impossible,  therefore, 
not  to  admire  the  fearlessness  as  well  as  dexterity 
with  which  the  Esquimaux  invariably  pursued  it. 

Having  distributed  some  bread-dust  among  the 
women,  we  told  old  Illumea  and  her  daughter  To- 
golat  that  we  proposed  taking  up  our  lodging  in 
their  hut  for  the  night.  It  is  a  renoarkable  trait  in 
the  character  of  these  people,  that  they  always 
thank  you  heartily  for  this,  as  well  as  for  eating 
any  of  their  meat ;  but  board  and  lodging  may  be 
given  to  them  without  receiving  the  slightest  ac- 
knowledgment either  in  word  or  deed.  As  it  was 
late  before  the  men  returned,  I  asked  Togolat  to 
get  the  rest  of  the  women  to  perform  some  of  their 
games,  with  the  hope  of  seeing  something  that  was 
new.  I  had  scarcely  time  to  make  the  proposal 
when  she  darted  out  of  the  hut,  and  quickly  brought 
every  female  that  was  left  at  the  village,  not  ex- 
cepting even  the  oldest  of  them,  who  joined  in  the 
performance  with  the  same  alacrity  as  the  rest. 
I  could,  however,  only  persuade  them  to  go  through 
a  tedious  song  we  often  before  heard,  which  was 
now,  indeed,  somewhat  modified  by  their  insisting 
on  our  taking  our  turns  in  the  performance,  all 
which  did  not  fail  to  create  among  them  never- 
ceasing  merriment  and  laughter.  Neither  their 
want  of  food  and  fuel,  nor  the  uncertain  prospect 
of  obtaining  any  that  night,  was  sufficient  to  de- 
prive these  poor  creatures  of  that  cheerfulness  and 

Vol.  I.— B  b 


'  ■  u 
"( 

'  '4' 


m 


:  1 


t, 


I 


(1 


2d0       SECOUD  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERT 

good -humour  which  it  seems  at  all  times  their  pe« 
culiar  happiness  to  enjoy. 

The  night  proved  very  thick,  with  small  snoniPy 
and  as  disagreeable  and  dangerous  for  people  adrift 
upon  floating  ice  as  can  well  be  imagined.  If  the 
women,  however,  gave  their  husbands  a  thought, 
or  spoke  of  them  to  us,  it  was  only  to  express  a 
very  sincere  hope  that  some  good  news  might 
shortly  arrive  of  their  success.  Our  singing  party 
had  not  long  been  broken  up,  when  it  was  sudden^ 
ly  announced  by  one  of  the  children,  the  usual  her- 
alds on  such  occasions,  that  the  men  had  killed 
something  on  the  ice.  The  only  two  men  who 
were  at  home  instantly  scrambled  on  their  outev 
^ckets,  harnessed  their  dogs,  and  set  off  to  assist 
their  companions  in  bringing  home  the  game,  while 
the  women  remained  for  an  hour  in  anxious  sus- 
pense as  to  the  extent  of  their  husbands'  success. 
At  length  one  of  the  men  arrived  with  the  posi- 
tive intelligence  of  two  walruses  having  been  ta- 
%en,  and  brought  with  him  a  portion  of  these  ani- 
mals as  large  as  he  could  drag  over  the  snow.  If 
the  women  were  only  cheerful  before ^  they  were 
now  absolutely  frantic.  A  general  shout  of  joy 
instantly  re-echoed  through  the  village ;  they  ran 
into  each  other's  huts  to  communicate  the  welcome 
intelligence,  and  actually  hugged  one  another  in  an 
ecstasy  of  delight  by  way  of  congratulation..  One 
of  them,  Amalodd,  a  pretty  young  woman  of  nine- 
teen  or  twenty,  knowing  that  a  dog  belonging  to 
her  husband  was  still  at  the  huts,  and  that  there 
was  no  man  to  take  him  down  on  the  ice,  ran  out 
instantly  to  perform  that  office ;  and  with  a  hardi- 
hood not  to  be  surpassed  by  any  of  the  men,  re« 


^^  tk 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


291 


ir  pe- 

adrift 
If  the 
3ught, 
ress  a 
might 
party 
iiddeiN 
al  her- 
killed 
in  who 
•  outev 
)  assist 
>,  while 
lUS  sus- 
uccess- 
e  posi- 
eeu  ta- 
;se  ani- 
.w.    K 
sy  were 

of  joy 

hey  ran 
welcome 
r  ia  an 
I).     One 
of  nine- 
iging  to 
at  there 
ran  out 
a  hardi- 
nen,  re- 


iRirned,  after  two  hours'  absence,  with  her  load  of 
walrus  flesh,  and  without  even  the  hood  thrown 
over  her  head  to  shelter  her  from  the  inclemency 
of  the  weather. 

When  the  first  burst  of  joy  had  at  length  subsi- 
ded, the  women  crept,  one  by  one,  into  the  apart- 
ment where  the  first  portion  of  the  seahorses  had 
been  conveyed,  which  is  always  that  of  one  of  the 
men  immediately  concerned  in  the  killing  of  them. 
Here  they  obtained  Wubber  enough  to  set  all  their 
kimps  alight,  besides  a  few  scraps  of  meat  for  their 
children  and  themselves.  From  this  time,  which 
was  nine  o'clock,  till  past  midnight,  fresh  cargoes 
were  continually  arriving ;  the  principal  part  being 
brought  in  by  the  dogs,  and  the  rest  by  the  men, 
who,  tying  the  thong  which  held  it  round  their 
waist,  dragged  in  each  his  separate  portion.  Be- 
fore the  whole  was  brought  in,  however,  some  of 
them  went  out  three  times  to  the  scene  of  action, 
though  the  distance  was  a  mile  and  a  half. 

Every  lamp  now  swimming  with  oil,  the  huts  ex- 
hibited a  blaze  of  light,  and  never  was  there  a 
scene  of  more  joyous  festivity  than  while  the  op- 
eration of  cutting  up  the  walruses  continued.  I 
took  the  opportunity,  which  their  present  good-hu- 
mour afforded,  to  obtain  a  perfect  head  and  tusks 
of  one  of  these  animals,  which  we  had  not  been  ^ 
able  to  do  before ;  and,  indeed,  so  much  were  their 
hearts  opened  by  the  scene  of  abundance  before 
them,  that  I  believe  they  would  have  given  us  any- 
thing we  asked  for.  This  disposition  was  consid- 
erably increased  also  by  their  taking  imo  their 
heads  that  their  success  was  in  some  way  or  other 
connected  with,  or  even  owing  to,  our  having  taken 
up  our  night's  lodging  at  the  huts. 


III' 

'  ! 


292       SECOND  VaYAGE   FOR   THE   DISCOVERY 


After  viewing  all  this  festivity  for  some  time,  I 
felt  disposed  to  rest ;  and,  wrapping  myself  up  in 
my  fur  coatj  lay  down  on  one  of  the  beds  which 
Illumea  had  given  up  for  our  accommodation,  as 
Well  as  her  keipiky  or  large  deerskin  blanket,  which 
she  rolled  up  for  my  pillow.  The  poor  old  wom- 
an herself  sat  up  by  her  lamp,  and  in  that  posture 
seemed  perfectly  well  satisfied  to  doze  away  the 
night.  The  singularity  of  my  night's  lodging  made 
me  awake  several  times,  when  I  always  found  some 
of  the  Esquimaux  eating,  though,  after  we  lay  down, 
they  kept  quite  quiet  for  fear  of  disturbing  us.  Mr. 
Halse,  who  was  still  more  wakeful,  told  me  that 
some  of  them  were  incessantly  employed  in  this 
manner  for  more  than  three  hours.  Indeed,  the 
quantity  of  meat  that  thus  they  contrive  to  get  rid 
of  is  almost  beyond  belief. 

Having  at  length  enjoyed  a  sound  nap,  I  found 
on  waking,  about  live  o'clock,  that  the  men  were  al- 
ready up,  and  had  gone  out  to  renew  their  labours 
on  the  ice,  so  that  several  of  them  could  not  have 
rested  more  than  two  or  three  hours.  This  cir- 
cumstance served  to  correct  a  notion  we  had  en- 
tertained, that,  when  once  abundantly  supplied  with 
food,  they  took  no  pains  to  obtain  more  till  want  be- 
gan again  to  stare  them  in  the  face.  It  was  now 
more  pleasing  to  be  assured  that,  even  in  the  midst 
of  plenty,  they  did  not  indolently  give  themselves 
up  to  repose,  but  were  willing  to  take  advantage 
of  every  favourable  opportunity  to  increase  their 
store.  It  is  certain,  indeed,  that,  were  these  people 
more  provident  {or,  in  other  words,  less  gluttonous, 
for  they  do  not  waste  much),  they  might  never  know 
what  it  is  to  want  provisions,  even  during  the  most 


OP  A  nohthwest  passage. 


29d 


ip  in 
?hich 
n,  as 
vhich 
worn- 
>sture 
y  t^e 
made 
some 
down, 
Mr. 
e  that 
n  this 
jd,  the 
get  rid 

found 
ere  al- 
abours 
)t  have 
lis  cir- 
ad  en- 
d  with 
ant  be- 
as  now 
midst 
nselves 
irantage 
te  their 
}  people 
ttonous, 
erknow 
he  most 


inclement  part  of  the  year.  The  state  of  the  ice 
was  to-day  very  unfavourable  for  their  purpose,  be- 
ing broken  into  pieces  so  small  that  they  could 
scarcely  venture  to  walk  upon  it. 

The  morning  of  the  6th  proved  favourable  for  a 
journey  I  had  in  contemplation  to  the  distant  huts, 
to  which  Iligliuk,  who  had  come  to  Winter  Island 
the  day  before,  promised  to  be  my  guide.  At  six 
o'clock  I  set  out,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Bushnan 
and  two  of  the  men,  carrying  with  us  a  supply  of 
bread-dust,  bestdee  our  own  provisions  and  blankets. 
As  the  distance  was  too  great  for  her  son  Sioutkuk 
to  walk,  we  were  uncertain,  till  the  moment  of  set- 
ting out,  how  this  was  to  be  managed,  there  being 
no  sledge  at  hand  for  the  purpose.  We  found, 
however,  that  a  man,  whom  we  had  observed  for 
some  time  at  work  among  the  hummocks  of  ice 
upon  the  beach,  had  been  employed  in  cutting  out 
of  that  abundant  material  a  neat  and  serviceable 
little  sledge,  hollowed  like  a  bowl  or  tray,  out  of  a 
solid  block,  and  smoothly  rounded  at  the  bottom. 
The  thong  to  which  the  dogs  were  attached  was 
secured  to  a  groove  cut  round  its  upper  edge ;  and 
the  young  seal-catcher,  seated  in  this  simple  vehi- 
cle, was  dragged  along  with  great  convenience  and 
comfort. 

The  ice  over  which  we  travelled  was  a  level  floe 
that  had  never  suffered  disturbance  since  its  first 
formation  in  the  axitumn,  and  with  not  more  than 
an  inch  and  a  half  of  snow  upon  it  The  path  be- 
ing distinctly  marked  out  by  the  people,  sledges, 
and  dogs  that  had  before  travelled  upon  it,  one 
might,  without  any  sreat  stretch  of  the  imagination, 
have  almost  fancied  it  a  road  leading  over  a  level 


Mi 


% 


4 


294       SECOND  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVEIUr 


m 


and  extensive  heath  towards  a  more  civilized  and 
substantial  village  than  that  which  we  were  nqw 
approaching,  lligliuk  walked  as  nimbly  as  the  best 
of  us  :  and,  after  two  hours'  and  a  half  brisk  trav- 
elling, we  arrived  at  the  huts,  and  were  received  by 
the  women  ^{oT  all  the  men  were  absent)  with  every 
expression  of  kindness  and  welcome.  Each  was 
desirous  of  a:^ording  us  lodging,  and  we  had  speedi- 
ly arranged  niatters  so  as  to  put  them  to  the  least 
possible  inconvenience. 

These  huts,  four  in  number,  were,  in  the  mode 
of  their  construction,  exact  counterparts  of  those  at 
Winter  Island  on  our  first  visit,  but,  being  new  and 
clean,  presented  a  striking  contrast  with  the  latter, 
in  their  present  disordered  and  filthy  state.  What 
gave  a  peculiarity,  as  well  as  beauty  also,  to  the  in- 
terior appearance  of  these  habitations,  was  their  be- 
ing situated  on  the  ice,  which,  being  cleared  of  the 
snow,  presented  a  flooring  of  that  splendid  blue 
which  is,  perhaps,  one  of  the  richest  colours  that 
nature  affords.  A  seal  or  two  having  been  lately 
procured,  every  lamp  was  now  blazing,  and  every 
ootkoseik  smoking  with  a  hot  mess,  which,  together 
with  the  friendly  reception  we  experienced,  and  a 
little  warmth  and  fatigaae  from  travelling,  combined 
in  conveying  to  our  minds  an  idea  of  comfort  which 
we  could  scarcely  believe  an  Esquimaux  hut  capa- 
ble of  exciting. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  men,  who  came  in  towards 
evening  with  two  seals  as  the  reward  of  their  la- 
bour, we  were  once  more  greeted  and  welcomed. 
Amaneelia,  in  particular,  who  was  a  quiet,  obliging, 
and  even  amiable  man,  was  delighted  to  find  my 
quarters  were  to  be  in  his  apartment,  where  AnUU 


.» 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE.     ^ 


295 


and 
nqw 
best 
trav- 
id  by 
iV€ry 
was 
eedi- 
least 

mode 
)aeat 
vand 
alter, 
What 
he  in. 
sir  be- 
)f  the 
i  blue 
that 
ately 
every 
Tether 
and  a 
ibined 
which 
capa- 

wards 
eir  la. 
omed. 

iging, 
id  my 
AnHU 


ka,  his  wife,  a  young  woman  of  about  twenty-three, 
had  already  arranged  everything  for  my  accom- 
modation ;  and  both  these  poor  people  now  vied 
with  each*  other  in  their  attention  to  my  comfort. 
Theother  two  apartments  of  the  same  hut  were  oc- 
cupied by  Kaoongut  and  Okotook,  with  their  re- 
spective wives  and  families  ;  it  being  the  constant 
custom  of  these  people  thus  to  unite  in  family 
groups  whenever  the  nature  of  their  habitations 
will  allow  it.  Mr.  Bushnan  being  established  with 
Okotook,  and  the  two  men  with  Kaoongut,  we  were 
thus  all  comfortably  lodged  under  the  same  roof. 

Toolooak  having  been  concerned  in  killing  one 
of  the  seals  just  brought  in,  it  fell  to  his  mother's 
lot  to  dissect  it,  the  neitiek  being  the  only  animal 
which  the  women  are  permitted  to  cut  up.     We 
had  therefore  an  opportunity  of  seeing  this  filthy 
operation  once  more  performed,  and  entirely  by  the 
old  lady  herself,  who  was  soon  up  to  her  elbows  in 
blood  and  oil.     Before  a  knife  is  put  into  the  ani- 
mal, as  it  lies  on  its  back,  they  pour  a  little  water 
into  its  mouth,  and  touch  each  flipper  and  the  mid- 
dle of  the  belly  with  a  little  lamp-black  and  oil  ta- 
ken from  the  under  part  of  the  lamp.     What  ben- 
efit was  expected  from  this  preparatory  ceremony 
we  could  not  learn,  but  it  was  done  with  a  degree 
of  superstitious  care  and  seriousness  that  bespoke 
its  indispensable  importance.     The  boys  came  ea- 
gerly into  the  hut  as  usual,  and  held  out  their  fore- 
heads for  the  old  woman  to  stick  the  charms  upon 
them  ;  and  it  was  not  till  now  that  we  learned  from 
Iligliuk  the  eflicacy  of  this  very  useful  custom. 
As  soon  as  this  dirty  operation  was  at  an  end,  du- 
ring which  the  numerous  by-standers  amused  them* 


ij'^^ 


it! 


(  IN 


i* 


'4 


A  J 


295 


SECOND  VOYAGE  FOE  THE  DISCOVEET 


selves  in  chewing  the  intestines  of  the  seal,  the 
strangers  retired  to  their  own  huts,  each  bearing  a 
small  portion  of  the  flesh  and  blubber,  while  our 
hosts  enjoyed  a  hearty  meal  of  boiled  meat  and  hot 
gravy  soup.  Young  Sioutkuk  ate  at  least  three 
pounds  of  solid  meat  in  the  first  three  hours  after 
our  arrival  at  the  huts,  besides  a  tolerable  proper, 
tion  of  soup,  all  which  his  mother  gave  him  when, 
ever  he  asked  it,  without  the  smallest  remark  of  any 
kind.  We  now  found  that  they  depended  on  catch- 
ing seals  alone  for  their  subsistence,  there  being  no 
walruses  in  this  neighbourhood.  As  they  were  sev- 
eral miles  from  any  open  water,  their  mode  of  kill- 
ing them  was  entirely  confined  to  watching  for  the 
animals  coiiaing  up  in  the  holes  they  make  through 
the  ice- 
In  the  course  of  the  -evening  our  conversation 
happened  to  turn  on  the  Indians,  a  people  whom 
none  of  these  Esquimaux  had  ever  seen ;  but  with 
whose  ferocity  and  decided  hostility  to  their  own 
nation  they  «eemed  to  be  well  acquainted.  They 
described,  also,  their  peculiar  manner  of  paddling 
their  canoes,  and  were  aware  that  they  made  use 
of  the  kind  of  show.shoes  which  we  shoW'ed  them. 
When  I  related  to  them,  as  well  as  I  was  able,  the 
massacre  of  the  Esquimaux  recorded  by  Hearne, 
and  gave  them  to  understand  that  the  Indians  spa- 
red neither  age  nor  sex,  it  seemed  to  chill  them 
with  horror,  and  I  was  almost  sorry  that  I  had  told 
them  the  story. 

April  11. — We  were  now  glad  to  begin  making 
some  show  of  re-equipping  the  ships  for  sea ;  for 
though  this  was  a  business  that  might,  if  necessary, 
have  been  very  well  accomplished  in  two  or  three 


M 


OP  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE* 


297 


weeks,  it  was  better  to  employ  the  men  in  occupa* 
tions  having  an  evident  and  determinate  object, 
than  in  those  less  obviously  useful  ones  to  which  it 
was  necessary  to  resort  during  the  winter.  We 
therefore  brought  down  some  of  the  boats  to  the 
ships  to  repair,  put  up  the  forge  on  the  ice,  and 
built  a  snow  house  over  it,  and  set  about  various 
other  jobs,  which  made  the  neighbourhood  of  the 
ships  assume  a  busy  and  bustling  appearance. 

I  had  to.day  a  visit  from  Okotook  and  Iligliuk, 
who,  with  their  son,  came  in  upon  their  sledge  from 
the  distant  huts.  Being  desirous  of  entertaining 
Ihem  well,  in  return  for  their  late  hospitality,  we 
provided  abundance  to  eat,  and  showed  them  every- 
thing about  the  ship  that  we  thought  likely  to  amuse 
them.  Of  all  the  wonders  they  had  ever  seen  on 
board,  there  was  nothing  which  seemed  to  impress 
them  so  strongly  with  a  sense  of  our  superiority 
as  the  forge,  and  the  work  which  the  armourer  per- 
formed  with  it.  The  welding  of  two  pieces  of  iron 
especially  excited  their  admiration,  and  I  never  saw 
Iligliuk  express  so  much  astonishment  at  anything 
before.  Even  in  this  her  superior  good  sense  wag 
observable,  for  it  was  evident  that  the  utility  of 
what  she  saw  going  on  was  what  forced  itself  upon 
her  mind ;  and  she  watched  every  stroke  of  the 
hammer  and  each  blast  of  the  bellows  with  extreme 
eagerness,  while  numbers  of  the  other  Esquimaux 
looked  stupidly  on,  without  expressing  the  smallest 
curiosity  or  interest  in  the  operation,  except  by  de- 
siring to  have  some  spear-heads  fashioned  out  by 
this  means.  Iligliuk  was  always  very  much  enter- 
tained also  by  pictures  having  any  relation  to  the 
Esquimaux  in  other  parts^  and  derived  great  enter- 


4 

I  2* 


!||! 


•■:  f 


..    1 


298        SECOND  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 

tainment  from  a  description  of  any  difference  in 
their  clothes,  utensils,  or  weapons.  Of  these  the 
sail  in  an  Esquimaux  boat  seemed  particularly  to 
attract  her  notice ;  but,  in  general,  she  had  no  in- 
clination to  admit  the  inferiority  of  her  own  tribe 
to  any  other.  She  was  always  extremely  inquisi- 
tive  about  her  own  sex,  whether  Innuees*  or  Kab' 
loonas,  listening  with  eager  attention  to  any  account 
of  their  dress  or  occupations,  and  in  common,  I  be- 
lieve, with  all  the  rest  of  the  Esquimaux,  wondered 
how  we  came  to  travel  to  their  country  without  our 
wives.  The  assurance  that  many  among  us  were 
not  married,  they  received  with  evident  incredulity. 
On  the  Idth,  a  number  of  the  natives  from  the 
Winter  Island  huts  formed  a  second  detachment, 
and  set  off  for  the  other  village.  They  carried 
their  goods  on  sledges  as  before,  even  to  the  exclu- 
sion of  poor  old  Hikkeiera,  whom  some  of  our 
gentlemen  overtook  crawling  after  his  companions 
with  a  stick,  and  who,  but  for  their  remonstrances, 
might  that  day  have  finished  his  pilgrimage  on 
earth.  They  insisted,  however,  on  his  being  placed 
on  one  of  the  sledges,  which  was  accordingly  com- 
plied with  ;  but,  on  their  arrival  at  the  village,  his 
companions  left  him  lying  there  till  their  huts  were 
built.  All  the  Esquimaux  pressed  our  gentlemen 
very  strongly  to  sleep  at  the  village ;  but  one  of  the 
women  gave  Mr.  Bird  an  indifferent  specimen  of 
her  hospitality,  by  picking  his  pocket  of  a  handker- 
chief, though  not  so  dexterously  as  to  escape  detec- 
tion. The  few  who  visited  the  ships  to.day  told 
us  that  they  were  all  about  to  leave  Winter  Island 
on  the  morrow ;  and  Okotook  and  Iligliuk,  who  had 

*  Esquimaux. 


.t^- 


'«. 


0?  A  NORTHWEST  PASSA6E# 


299 


4;3 


ad 


not  yet  returned,  came  on  board  among  the  rest  to 
pay  a  last  visit.  I  gave  the  former  a  large  piece 
of  oak  wood  for  a  bow  and  two  arrows,  a  second 
iron  spear-head,  and  various  other  articles,  to  add 
to  the  stock  of  wealth  he  bad  from  time  to  time  re- 
ceived from  us.  As  these  good  folks  found  them- 
selves perfectly  at  home  in  my  cabin,  I  was  usually 
in  the  habit  of  continuing  my  occupations  when 
they  were  there,  without  being  disturbed  by  them. 
Being  now  engaged  in  writing,  my  attention  was 
unexpectedly  directed  towards  them  by  Iligliuk's 
suddenly  starting  from  her  seat,  moving  quickly  to- 
wards the  door,  and,  without  saying  a  word  either 
to  me  or  any  of  the  officers  present,  hastening  di- 
rectly on  deck.  Okotook,  indeed,  as  he  followed 
her  out  of  the  cabin,  turned  round  and  said  **  Good- 
l>y/'  of  which  expression  he  had  learned  the  mean- 
ing, and  then,  without  giving  us  time  to  return  the 
compliment,  they  both  hurried  out  of  the  ship,  leav- 
ing us  in  some  astonishment  at  this  singular  leave- 
taking,  which  we  then  supposed  to  be  the  last. 

We  could  now  begin  to  perceive,  from  day  to 
day,  that  the  snow  on  shore  was  diminishing.  How 
slow  this  process  was,  may,  however,  be  under- 
stood by  the  fact,  that  it  was  necessary  to  make  a 
mark  on  some  stone  to  be  assured  it  was  thus  re- 
ceding. Our  snow. wall  had  indeed  settled  down 
nearly  a  foot  by  the  gradual  diminution  of  the  blocks 
of  which  it  was  composed ;  but  the  thawing  had 
been  artificially  assisted  by  the  black  cloth  hung 
against  it.  Five  ravens  were  seen  to-day,  all  quite 
black  ;  four  of  them  were  flying  in  pairs. 

On  the  22d  a  number  of  the  Esquimaux  came 
to  the  ships  with  a  sledge,  and  among  the  rest  my 


m\ 


[t 


i  "■    h 


ft 


1    I 


J 


*■• . 


300       SECOND  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


late  host  Arnaneelia  and  his  wife,  the  latter  having 
the  front  of  her  jacket  adorned  with  numberless 
strings  of  beads  that  we  had  given  her,  arranged 
with  exact  uniformity,  to  which,  in  the  fashion  of 
their  dresses  and  the  disposition  of  their  ornaments, 
these  people  always  rigidly  adhere.  Aneekta  had 
scarcely  reached  the  cabin  when  she  produced  a 
little  ivory  comb  and  a  pair  of  handsome  mittens, 
which  she  presented  to  Mr.  Eidwards,  at  the  same 
time  thanking  him  for  the  attention  he  had  shown 
her  on  an  occasion  when  she  had  been  taken  in  a 
fit  alongside  the  Fury,  from  which  she  was  recov- 
ered by  bleeding.  This  expression  of  gratitude, 
in  which  she  was  heartily  joined  by  her  husband, 
was  extremely  gratifying  to  us;  as  it  served,  in 
some  degree,  to  redeem  these  people  in  our  estima- 
tion from  the  imputation  of  ingratitude,  which  is, 
indeed,  one  of  their  greatest  failings.  They  stated 
having  seen  two  reindeer  the  preceding  day  going 
over  the  ice  to  the  main  land.  They  spoke  of  this 
with  great  pleasure :  and  we  were  ourselves  not 
displeased  with  the  prospect  of  changing  our  diet 
for  a  little  venison.  They  now  became  extremely 
urgent  with  us  for  wood  to  make  bows  and  arrows, 
most  of  their  own  having,  with  the  childishness  that 
accompanied  their  first  barterings,  been  parted  with 
to  our  officers  and  men.  Having  several  broken 
oars  which  could  be  turned  to  little  or  no  account 
on  board,  we  were  enabled,  at  a  small  expense  of 
useful  stores,  to  furnish  them  very  abundantly  with 
wood  for  this  purpose.  Arnaneelia  also  informed 
us  that  Okotook,  who  had  been  unwell  for  some 
days,  was  now  much  worse,  and  seemed,  as  he  de- 
scribed it,  to  be  labouring  under  a  violent  pulmona- 


01    A   NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


301 


ry  complaint.  On  the  circumstance  being  mention- 
ed to  Mr.  Skeoch,  he  kindly  volunteered  to  go  to 
the  village,  and  accordingly  took  his  seat  on  the 
sledge,  accompanied  also  by  Mr.  Sherer.  They 
carried  with  them  a  quantity  of  bread-dust  to  be 
distributed  among  the  Esquimaux  at  the  huts,  their 
success  in  seal-catching  having  lately  been  indiffer- 
ent. -  '-'""  '■-»  J-  -  '' '  >'    -  '-■-' 

A  number  of  Esquimaux  came  to  the  ships  on 
the  25th,  notwithstanding  a  strong  breeze  from  the 
S.  W.b.W.,  with  a  considerable  snowdrift.  From 
these  people  we  learned  that  Okotook's  complaint 
had  increased  since  Mr.  Skeoch's  visit,  and  that  he 
was  now  extremely  ill.  Mr.  Bushnan  immediately 
offered  to  go  to  the  huts  for  the  purpose  of  bringing 
him  on  board,  where,  by  Mr.  Edwards's  kind  atten- 
tions, and  the  enjoyment  of  warmth  and  dryness, 
we  hoped  soon  to  recover  him.  Mr.  Bushnan, 
therefore,  without  waiting  for  the  return  of  the 
sledges,  set  out  for  the  village  at  an  early  hour  in 
the  forenoon,  accompanied  by  the  sergeant  of  ma- 
rines. At  eleven  at  night  our  party  returned  on 
board,  bringing  on  a  sledge  Okotook,  Iligliuk,  and 
their  son.  That  Iligliuk  would  accompany  her 
husband,  I,  of  course,  took  for  granted  and  wished ; 
but  as  the  boy  could  do  us  no  good,  and  was,  more- 
over, a  desperate  eater,  I  had  desired  Mr.  Bushnan 
to  try  whether  a  slight  objection  to  his  being  of  the 
party  would  induce  Okotook  to  leave  him  with  his 
other  relations.  This  he  had  cautiously  done ;  but, 
the  instant  the  proposal  was  made,  Okotook,  with- 
out any  remark,  began  to  take  off  the  clothes  he 
had  himself  just  dressed  in  to  set  out.  No  farther 
objection  being  made,  however,  he  again  prepared 

Vol.  I.— C  c 


i  I 


i^ 


11  I 

1'     ! 


802       SECOND  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 

for  the  journey,  Iligliuk  assisting  him  with  the  most 
attentive  solicitude.     Before  the  invalid  was  suiTer. 
ed  to  leave  his  apartment,  some  of  the  by-standers 
sent  for  Ewerat,  now  better  known  to  our  people 
by  the  undignified  appellation  of  the  "  conjuror." 
Ewerat,  on  this  occasion,  maintained  a  degree  of 
gravity  and  reserve  calculated  to  inspire  somewhat 
more  respect  than  we  had  hitherto  been  disposed  to 
entertain  for  him  in  that  capacity.     Placing  himself 
at  the  door  of  the  apartment  opposite  Okotook,  who 
was  still  seated  on  the  bed,  he  held  both  his  thumbs 
m  his  mouth,  keeping  up  a  silent  but  solemn  con* 
verse  with  his  ioomgowt*  the  object  of  which  was, 
as  Mr.  Bushnan  presently  afterward  found,  to  in. 
quire  into  the  efficacy  and  propriety  of  the  sick 
man's  removal.     Presently  he  began  to  utter  a  va- 
riety of  confused  and  inarticulate  sounds ;  and  it 
being  at  length  understood  that  a  favourable  answer 
had  been  given,  Okotook  was  carried  out  and  placed 
on  the  sledge,  Ewerat  still  mumbling  his  thumbs 
and  muttering  his  incantations  as  before.     When 
the  party  took  their  leave,  there  were  a  great  many 
doleful  faces  among  those  that  remained  behind ; 
and  Mr.  Bushnan  said  that  the  whole  scene  more 
resembled  the  preparations  for  a  funeral  than  the 
mere  removal  of  a  sick  man.     When  the  sledge 
moved  on,  Ewerat  was  the  only  one  who  had  not  a 
**  Good-by  !*'  ready,  he  being  as  seriously  engaged 
as  at  first,  and  continuing  so  as  long  as  our  people 
could  observe  him.  »■ 

Okotook  was  extremely  ill  on  his  arrival,  having 
been  three  hours  on  the  sledge,  and  Iligliuk,  who, 
as  Mr.  Bushnan  told  me,  had  scarcely  taken  her 


v:^jtr 


*  Familiar  spirit. 


a 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  FASSAGE. 


303 


tyes  off  her  husband's  face  the  whole  time,  seem- 
ed almost  worn  out  with  fatigue  and  anxiety.  A 
bed  of  wolf  skins  being  prepared  for  him,  Okotook 
was  soon  placed  upon  it,  and  such  remedies  appli- 
ed  as  Mr.  Edwards  judged  necessary  for  his  com. 
plaint,  which  was  inflammation  of  the  lungs  to  a 
degree  that,  if  left  to  itself,  or  even  to  BWerat, 
would  soon  have  proved  fatal,  or,  at  best,  have  ter* 
minated  in  consumption. 

On  the  26th,  a  southeast  wind  brought  a  heavy 
fall  of  snow  in  flakes  much  larger  than  before. 
The  thermometers  on  the  ice  at  noon  stood  at  23° 
in  both  aspects.  We  heard  from  Illumea,  who 
came  to  see  her  son  Okotook,  that  a  part  of  the 
natives  had  gone  still  farther  to  the  westward  upon 
the  ice,  one  spot  not  affording  sufficient  subsistence 
for  the  whole  of  them.  Our  patient  felt  much  the 
better  for  a  comfortable  night's  lodging,  and  now 
submitted  with  great  patience  to  the  application  of 
a  blister,  though  I  believe  his  confidence  in  our 
mode  of  cure  was  afterward  shaken  for  a  time  by 
the  pain  which  it  occasioned.  Both  he  and  Iligli- 
uk,  however,  seemed  very  sensibly  to  feel  the  com. 
forts  and  advantages  of  their  present  quarters; 
and  a  **  coyenna"  (thanks)  now  and  then  fell  from 
their  lips.  Nothing  could  exceed  the  attention 
which  the  latter  paid  to  her  husband ;  she  kept  her 
€yes  almost  constantly  fixed  upon  him,  and  seem- 
ed anxious  to  anticipate  every  want. 

One  of  Okotook's  brothers  had  arrived  from  the 
huts,  bringing  with  him  some  walrus-flesh  to  tempt 
the  appetite  of  the  invalid,  whose  stomach,  howev- 
er, very  fortunately  for  his  complaint,  was  not  dig. 
posed  to  this  kind  of  delicacy.     When  his  brother 


it. 


I 

4^ 


,Ut 


M  H 


iti 


M 


;:•(' 


I 


I- 


'% 


304        SECOND  VOYAGE   FOR  THE   DISCOVERY 


was  about  to  return,  Okotook  took  it  into  his  head 
to  send  his  son  away  with  him,  probably  because 
he  heard  they  had  the  day  before  killed  two  seals, 
which  alForded  better  feeding  than  we  had  to  give 
him ;  be  this  as  it  may,  we  were  not  sorry  that  he 
went,  and  the  boy  himself  seemed  no  less  pleased ; 
for,  without  playfellows  or  amusement  of  any  kind, 
his  time  hung  very  heavily  on  his  hands  while  he 
remained  on  board.  It  was  amusing  to  see  Oko- 
took take  a  dose  of  physic  for  the  first  time  in  his 
life  to-day.  He  knew  its  taste  was  not  pleasant, 
but  this  was  certainly  not  all  that  he  dreaded ;  for, 
before  he  put  the  cup  to  his  lips  with  one  hand,  he 
held  on  by  his  wife  with  the  other,  and  she  by  him 
with  both  hers,  as  though  they  expected  an  explo- 
sion, or  some  such  catastrophe,  as  the  immediate 
effect  of  the  potion ;  nor  did  he  venture  to  relin- 
quish his  hold  till  the  taste  began  to  leave  his 
mouth.  The  quantity  of  water  which  he  drank  in 
the  course  of  the  four-and-twenty  hours  is  beyond 
conception ;  and  the  cabin  fire  could  scarcely,  by 
the  melting  of  snow,  furnish  enough  for  their  con- 
sumption. These  people  are  extremely  particular 
as  to  the  purity  of  the  water  they  drink.  Some 
that  had  been  melted  in  our  steamer,  and  which  I 
thought  very  good,  neither  of  them  would  touch,  or, 
at  least,  always  spat  out  again.  If  the  water  was 
much  above  the  temperature  of  32^,  they  also  dis- 
hked  it,  and  immediately  put  snow  into  it  to  cool  it 
down.  Iligliuk,  who  came  on  board  with  one  side 
of  her  hair  loose,  loosened  the  other  also  to-day, 
in  consequence  of  her  fancying  Okotook  worse, 
though  it  was  only  the  annoyance  of  the  blister  that 
made  him  uneasy ;  for  even  in  this  sequestered  cor- 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGfi. 


305 


,or, 

was 

dis- 

3ol  it 

side 

day, 

orse, 

•that 

cor- 


ner of  the  globe  dishevelled  locks  bespeak  mourn- 
ing. It  was  not,  however,  with  her  the  mere  sem- 
blance of  grief,  for  she  was  really  much  distressed 
throughout  the  day,  all  our  endeavours  not  availing 
to  make  her  understand  how  one  pain  was  to  be 
removed  by  inflicting  another. 

Captain  Lyon  being  desirous  of  having  some  lit- 
tle clothes  made  as  models  of  the  Esquimaux  cos- 
tume, and  thinking  Iligliuk's  present  leisure  afford- 
ed her  a  good  opportunity  of  making  them,  had 
yesterday  obtained  her  promise  that  she  would  do 
so.  Okotook  being  now  very  much  better,  and  she 
having  herself  resumed  her  usual  gayety  in  conse- 
quence,  I  pressed  her  to  commence  her  work,  and 
placed  the  skins  before  her,  when  she  said  that  she 
could  not  do  them  here,  as  she  had  no  needles. 
These  being  supplied  her,  she  now  complained  of 
having  no  tddkldO'e-wdlloo  (reindeer  sinew),  their 
usual  thread.  This  difficulty,  unfortunately  for  Ili- 
gliuk's credit,  was  as  easily  overcome  as  the  other ; 
and  when  scissors,  pattern  clothes,  and  all  the  oth- 
er requisites  were  laid  before  her,  she  was  at  length 
driven  to  the  excuse  that  Okotook's  illness  would 
not  permit  her  to  do  it.  Seeing  us  half  laughing 
at  the  absurdity  of  these  excuses,  and  half  angry 
at  the  selfish  indolence  which  prompted  them,  she 
at  last  flatly  asserted  that  Okotook  desired  her  not 
to  work,  which,  though  we  knew  it  to  be  a  false- 
hood, the  latter  did  not  deny.  We  then  supposed 
that  some  superstition  might  be  at  the  bottom  of 
this ;  but  having,  a  little  while  after,  by  way  of  ex- 
periment,  thrown  Iligliuk  some  loose  beads  upon 
the  tablCf  she  eagerly  employed  herself  for  half  an 
hour  in  stringing  them  that  not  one  might  be  lost  $ 

Cc2 


I 


13  'f 


Pi   '1 


i 


u 


lii'     ■ 

I; 


IN 


}. 


^f 


306 


SECOND   VOYACE   FOR  THE   DISCOVERY 


which  proved  that,  where  her  own  gratification  or 
interest  were  concerned,  Okotook's  illness  was  not 
suffered  to  interfere.     Tliis  anecdote  shows,  in  a 
strong  light,  that  deep-rooted  selfishness,  which,  in 
numberless  instances,  notwithstanding  the  superi- 
ority of  Iligliuk's  understanding,  detracted  from  the 
amiability  of  her  disposition.     The  fact  was,  that 
she  did  not  feel  inclined  so  far  to  exert  herself  as 
to  comply  with  Captain  Lyon's  request ;  and  the 
slight  degree  of  gratitude  and  proper  feeling  which 
was  requisite  to  overcome  that  disinclination  was 
altogether  wanting.  .   ......       ?  .. 

.  I  have  related  this  anecdote  just  as  it  occurred, 
with  the  hope  of  showing  the  true  disposition  of 
these  people,  and  not  with  a  view  of  unduly  depre- 
ciating the  character  of  our  friend  Iligliuk.  I  am, 
however,  compelled  to  acknowledge,  that,  in  pro- 
portion as  the  superior  understanding  of  this  ex- 
traordinary woman  became  more  and  more  de- 
veloped, her  head  (for  what  female  head  is  indif- 
ferent to  praise  ?)  began  to  be  turned  with  the  gen- 
eral attention  and  numberless  presents  she  receiv- 
ed. The  superior  decency  and  even  modesty  of 
her  behaviour  had  combined,  with  her  intellectual 
qualities,  to  raise  her,  in  our  estimation,  far  above 
heir  companions ;  and  I  oflen  heard  others  express 
what  I  could  not  but  agree  in,  that  for  Iligliuk  alone, 
of  all  the  Esquimaux  women,  that  kind  of  respect 
could  be  entertained  which  modesty  in  a  female 
never  fails  to  command  in  our  sex.  Thus  regard- 
ed, she  had  always  been  freely  admitted  into  the 
ships,  the  quartermasters  at  the  gangway  never 
thinking  of  refusing  entrance  to  the  **  wise  woman," 
as  they  called  her.     Whenever  any  explanation 


OP   A   NrtftraWEST  PASSAGE. 


307 


lever 
Ration 


was  necessary  between  the  Esquimaux  and   us, 
Iligliuk  waj  sent  for  as  an  interpreter ;  information 
was  chiefly  obtained  through  her,  and  she  thus 
found  herself  rising  into  a  degree  of  consequence 
to  which,  but  for  us,  she  could  never  have  attained. 
Notwithstanding  a  more  than  ordinary  share  of 
good  sense  on  her  part,  it  will  not,  therefore,  be 
wondered  at  if  she  became  giddy  with  her  exalta- 
tion, assuming  certain  airs  which,  though  infinitely 
diversified  in  their  operation  according  to  circum- 
stances, perhaps  universally  attend  a  too  sudden 
accession  of  good  fortune  in  every  child  of  Adam 
from  the  equator  to  the  poles.     The  consequence 
was,  that  Iligliuk  was  soon  spoiled ;  considered  her 
admission  into  the  ships  and  most  of  the  cabins  no 
longer  as  an  indulgence,  but  a  right.;  ceased  to  re- 
turn the  slightest  acknowledgment  for  any  kind- 
ness or  presents ;  became  listless  and  inattentive 
in  unravelling  the  meaning  of  our  questions,  and 
careless  whether  her  answers  conveyed  the  infor- 
mation we  desired.     In  short,  Iligliuk  in  February 
and  Iligliuk  in  April  were  confessedly  very  differ- 
ent persons  ;  and  it  was  at  last  amusing  to  recol- 
lect, though  not  very  easy  to  persuade  one's  self, 
that  the  woman  who  now  sat  demurely  in  a  chair, 
so  confidently  expecting  the  notice  of  those  around 
her,  and  she  who  had  at  first,  with  eager  and  wild 
delight,  assisted  in  cutting  snow  for  the  building  of 
a  hut,  and  with  the  hope  of  obtaining  a  single  nee- 
dle, were  actually  one  and  the  same  individual. 

Togolat  came  down  to  the  ships  to-day  to  see 
her  brother  Okotook  ;  she  was  accompanied  by 
Arnalooa,  and  on  their  arrival  they  were  both  sent 
for  into  the  cabin.     We  observed,  however,  that 


I   •*! 

I 


If 


.'       I 


I 


-.1 


d08        SECOND  VOTAGE   FOR  ¥H£  DISCOVERY 


■1 

I 


thdy  required  an  unusual  degree  of  solicitation  to 
make  them  go  near  Okotook,  or  even  to  the  side 
of  the  cabin,  where  he  lay  concealed  by  a  screen ; 
and,  after  all,  they  remained  in  the  opposite  cor- 
ner next  the  door  ;  and,  having  talked  freely  to  the 
invalid  for  some  time,  took  their  leave  without  see- 
ing him.  In  the  evening,  after  they  were  gone,  we 
found  that  this  unfortunate  though  well-intended 
visit  was  occasioning  great  distress  to  Okotook, 
who  talked  for  two  hours  almost  incessantly  about 
**  Arnalooa's  having  seen  him,"  which,  it  seems, 
ought  not  to  have  been  the  case.  What  misfor- 
tune was  to  be  apprehended  in  consequence  of 
this  event  we  could  not  learn ;  but  he  spoke  of  it 
in  a  kind  of  agony,  and  waig  evidently  labouring 
under  the  influence  of  some  powerful  though  ab- 
surd superstition  respecting  it.  Towards  night  he 
fiuffered  a  dreadful  bleeding  at  the  nose,  followed  by 
much  sickness  at  the  stomach,  which,  together  with 
the  phanton  of  Arnalooa,  that  still  haunted  his  im- 
agination, combined  to  make  him  extremely  unwell 
for  some  hours.  The  next  day,  however,  he  was 
free  from  complaint  of  any  kind,  and  began  once 
more  to  put  on  a  smiling  countenance. 

The  caulking  of  our  bows  being  now  completed, 
the  ships  were  released  from  the  ice  by  sawing 
round  them  ;  an  operation  which  caused  them  to 
rise  in  the  water  six  inches  and  a  half,  in  conse- 
quence of  the  increased  buoyancy  occasioned  by 
the  winter's  expenditure. 


OP  A  NOETHWEST  PASSAGIE. 


309 


i 


CHAPTER  IX, 

increased  Extent  of  open  Water  in  the  OfRng. — A  Travelling 
Party  despatched  to  the  Northward.— Unsuccessful  attempt 
to  raise  Vegetables  on  Shore. — Decease  of  James  Pringle. — 
A  Party  of  Esquimau;^  build  Huts  near  the  Ships.— Return 
of  the  Travellers,  and  account  of  their  Journey.— First  Ap- 
pearance of  the  Plants.— Birds  become  numerous. — Com- 
mence cutting  a  Canal  through  the  Ice  for  liberating  the 
Ships. — Illness  and  Decease  of  John  Keid  and  William  Sou- 
ter.— Breaking  up  of  the  ice  m  the  Bay. — Account  of  Winter 
Island. — Abstract  of  Observations  made  there. 


t*  T 


■111 
f 


•i 


by 


«<• 


Vf^ 


As  there  was  an  increased  extent  of  open  water 
in  the  ofHng,  and  the  weather  being  now,  to  all  ap- 
pearance, toferably  settled,  I  determined  on  send- 
ing away  a  travelling  party  under  Captain  Lyon, 
It  consisted  of  Lieutenant  Palmer,  live  seamen,  and 
three  marines,  the  whole  being  victualled  for  twenty 
days,  and  furnished  with  a  tent,  fuel,  and  every  oth- 
er convenience  of  which  such  a  journey  would  ad- 
mit. The  baggage  was  placed  on  light  sledges, 
resembling  those  used  by  Captain  Franklin  on  his 
late  journey  to  the  shores  of  the  Polar  Sea,  made 
out  of  staves  shaved  thin,  six  feet  eight  inches  long, 
fourteen  inches  broad,  and  turned  up  before.  Be- 
ing secured  entirely  with  thongs  of  hide  sunk  by 
grooves  into  the  wood  to  keep  them  from  wearing, 
they  were  perfectly  flexible,  so  as  to  be  in  no  dan- 
ger of  breaking  on  uneven  ground.  Each  individ- 
ual of  the  party  was  furnished  with  one  of  these, 
which  also  served  to  sleep  and  sit  upon ;  the  weight 
dragged  by  each  of  the  men  being  about  one  hun- 


1 


M^ 


010 


SECOND  VOYAGE    FOR  THE   DISCOVERY 


K 


dred  and  twenty  pounds,  and  that  of  the  officers 
from  ninety  to  ninety-five.  Each  person  had  also 
a  pair  of  snow-shoes,  a  deerskin  jacket  and  boots 
for  sleeping  in,  and  another  pair  of  boots  of  water- 
tight sealskin.        '  •  '•  '       '       ' 

The  general  tenour  of  Captain  Lyon's  instruc- 
tions was,  "  after  crossing  to  the  continent,  to  pro. 
ceed  along  that  coast  to  the  northward,  carefully 
examining  any  bend  or  inlet  he  might  meet  with, 
so  as  to  leave  no  doubt,  if  possible,  of  its  actual  ex- 
tent and  communications,  thereby  preventing  the 
necessity  of  the  ships  entering  it  on  their  arrival 
there."  I  added,  also,  the  necessary  directions  for 
remarking  everything  of  interest  relating  to  the 
tides,  and  the  natural  productions  of  the  country ; 
and  I  limited  Captain  Lyon  to  the  end  of  the  month 
in  returning,  to  avoid  the  possibility  "of  detaining 
the  expedition. 

Their  preparations  being  completed,  our  travel- 
lers lefl  the  ships  under  a  salute  of  three  cheers 
from  both  the  crews,  and  accompanied  by  a  large 
party  of  officers  and  men  to  assist  them  for  the  first 
few  hours.  A  day  or  two  after  their  departure,  a 
supply  of  provisions  was  lodged  on  shore,  accord- 
ing to  a  plan  previously  agreed  on,  in  case  of  our 
being  forced  out  to  sea  with  the  ice  before  their 
return.  Arrangements  were  also  made  for  putting 
an  officer  and  two  men  on  shore,  as  a  guard  to  this 
as  well  as  to  the  clock,  tent,  or  any  other  articles 
that  might  be  left  behind,  in  the  event  of  an  occur- 
rence of  this  nature. 

In  the  course  of  the  forenooii  of  the  15th,  a  mes- 
sage to  our  medical  gentlemen  announced  the  fall 
of  James  Pringle,  one  of  the  seamen  of  the  Hecla^ 


*1 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


311 


ivel- 
leers 
large 
first 
ire,  a 
5ord- 

our 
I  their 
liting 

this 
:iclea 
;cur- 

mes- 
fall 
[ecky 


from  her  mizen-topmast-head  to  the  deck ;  and  in 
a  few  minutes  after  1  was  much  shocked  in  receiv- 
ing Lieutenant  Hoppner's  report  of  his  death,  ao 
sign  of  life  having  indeed  appeared  in  him  from 
the  first  moment  after  his  fall.  On  examination,  it 
was  found  that  the  base  of  the  scull  was  fractured, 
and  the  neck  also  dislocated.  A  grave  was  direct- 
ed to  be  dug  near  the  observatory,  and  arrange- 
ments were  made  for  the  funeral  taking  place  oa 
the  following  Sunday. 

On  the  16th,  Ewerat,  with  his  wife  and  family, 
arrived  at  the  ships,  bringing  with  them  all  their 
goods  and  chattels,  and  with  the  intention  of  taking 
up  their  abode  upon  the  ice  near  us#  They  accord- 
ingly built  their  hut  about  a  hundred  yards  from 
the  Fury's  stern,  but  whether  with  the  view  of  liv- 
ing upon  us,  or  the  seals  that  frequent  the  bay,  we 
were  at  first  at  a  loss  to  conjecture.  Ewerat's 
household  consisted  not  only  of  his  own  family,  but 
of  Appokiuk  and  Itkamuk,  the  former  of  whom 
having  no  husband,  and  the  latter  no  relative,  they 
both  seemed  to  be  fairly  "  on  the  parish."  Besides 
this  establishment,  a  second,  on  a  smaller  scale, 
also  made  its  appearance  in  our  neighbourhood, 
consisting  of  a  very  little  man,  named  Koo4Ulu 
U-uky  nicknamed  by  the  sailors  **  John  Bull,"  and 
his  pretty  Uttle  wife  AmaloOa,  whose  zeal  in  bring- 
ing up  her  husband's  share  of  the  seahorses  I  have 
before  described.  These  persons,  being  eight  in 
number,  had  determined  on  travelling  to  Amitioke 
for  the  ensuing  summer,  influenced  probably,  in 
some  degree,  by  the  hope  of  falUng  in  with  us 
again,  as  they  knew  that  we  were  going  in  that  di- 
rection.     Be  this,  however,  as  it  may,  it  was  soon 


I 

u    - 


:  :;i 


H 


*  \^ 


f 


i 


312       SECOND    VOYAGE   FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 


evident  that  they  intended  making  the  most  of  us 
while  we  remained  neighbours ;  for,  on  the  17th, 
though  the  weather  was  favourable,  and  they  had 
no  food  of  their  own,  they  made  no  effort  to  pro- 
cure any,  except  from  the  ships,  to  which  the  women 
brought  their  ootkooseeks  for  bread-dust.  Though 
I  objected  to  encouraging  this,  and  told  them  we 
should  give  them  nothing  if  they  did  not  also  la- 
bour for  themselves,  they  were  all  such  favourites 
with  our  people  that  1  believe  they  found  it  answer 
very  well ;  contriving  not  only  to  get  plenty  of  food, 
but  also  a  number  of  useful  presents.  They  made, 
indeed,  some  return  for  this,  by  the  usual  barter 
of  mittens,  of  which  our  people  were  now  furnish- 
ed with  an  abundant  supply. 

On  the  19th,  after  an  impressive  sermon  deliver- 
ed by  Mr.  Fisher,  the  last  mournful  duties  were 
performed  over  the  remains  of  our  deceased  ship^ 
mate.  Nothing  worthy  of  notice  occurred  till  the 
evening  of  the  21st,  when,  soon  after  eight  o'clock. 
Captain  Lyon  and  his  party  were  seen  on  their  re- 
turn over  the  hills,  and,  being  met  by  a  number  of 
the  officers  and  noen  from  the  ships,  arrived  on 
board  before  ten,  when  I  was  happy  to  find  our 
travellers  in  good  health,  excepting  a  little  snow- 
blindness  and  *<  foot-foundering,'^  of  which  they 
soon  recovered.  The  result  of  this  journey  of  Cap- 
tain Lyon's  served  to  excite  very  reasonable  hopes 
that  he  had  seen  the  northeastern  extreme  of  the 
great  peninsula,  round  which  we  entertained  the 
most  sanguine  expectations  of  shortly  finding  the 
desired  passage  into  the  Polar  Sea. 

On  the  23d,  our  neighbours  the  Esquimaux,  who 
had  long,  by  their  own  account,  been  setting  off 


OF  A  NORTHWEST  PASSAGE. 


313 


for  Amitioke,  at  length  began  in  earnest  to  pack  up 
for  their  departure.  As  soon  as  their  preparations 
were  finished,  I  sent  for  them  all  on  board,  and 
gave  them  one  of  their  own  sledges,  of  which  they 
were  much  in  want,  for  carrying  their  goods,  a 
couple  of  boarding-pikes,  some  knives,  and  several 
tin  canisters  filled  with  bread-dust,  for  their  jour- 
ney. These  presents  had  scarcely  been  made 
them,  when  we  had  reason  to  apprehend  so  sudden 
an  influx  of  wealth  might  produce  serious  efTects, 
especially  upon  the  women,  whose  joy  threw  them 
into  immoderate  fits  of  laughter,  almost  amounting 
to  hysterics,  which  were  succeeded  by  a  flood  of 
tears.  The  men  seemed  thankful,  though  less  noi- 
sy in  the  expression  of  their  acknowledgmentst. 
As  soon  as  some  degree  of  composure  was  resto- 
red, we  accompanied  them  to  their  baggage,  whicii 
they  had  stowed  on  two  of  the  small  travelling 
sledges  given  them  by  Captain  Lyon,  but  whic^ 
they  now  shifted  to  iheir  own.  When  all  was 
ready,  and  some  other  valuable  presents  had  been 
added  to  their  stock  by  Captain  Lyon,  they  pro- 
ceeded to  the  northward,  the  women  assisting  to 
drag  the  sledge,  for  they  had  only  one  large  dog 
and  one  puppy.  On  taking  their  departure,  these 
good-humoured  and  ever-cheerful  people  greeted 
us  with  three  cheers  in  the  true  Kabloona  style,  a. 
mode  of  salutation  they  had  observed  once  or  twice 
among  us,  and  frequently  practised  for  their  amuse, 
ment  and  ours.  On  the  24th,  we  found  they  had 
only  proceeded  a  few  miles,  as  "John  Bull"  once 
more  made  his  appearance  on  board,  and  returned 
to  his  companions  in  the  evening.  From  this  spe- 
cimen of  their  travelling,  of  which  we  had,  as  yet, 
Vol.  I.— D  d 


i 


M 


I 


i  I' 


814       SECOND  VOYAGE  FOR   THE   DISCOVERY 


little  experience,  we  had  great  reason  to  hope  that 
their  days'  journeys  would  be  found  but  short  ones, 
and  that,  therefore,  our  distance  round  the  north- 
eastern point  of  the  American  continent  was  not 
very  considerable.  The  snow  fell  softer,  and  more 
melting  was  going  on  to-day  than  on  any  before  ob- 
served, though  only  a  few  black  tips  of  the  rocks 
were  yet  visible  on  shore.  The  animals  now  began 
to  appear  in  greater  numbers ;  for  on  the  25th,  a 
flock  of  nearly  two  hundred  long-tailed  ducks  were 
swimming  about  in  the  open  water  to  the  southeast 
of  the  point.  Some  of  the  Esquimaux  who  came 
from  the  nearest  western  village  also  reported  hav- 
ing seen  a  great  many  reindeer ;  but  they  had  not 
yet  succeeded  in  killing  any.         *:  i       -    ,  . 

At  the  close  of  the  month  of  May  it  was  a  mat- 
ter of  general  observation,  and,  of  course,  of  general 
regret,  how  few  symptoms  of  thawing  had  yet  ap. 
peared,  either  on  shore  or  on  the  ice.  Naturally 
pursuing  our  usual  comparison  with  the  circum- 
stances of  the  former  winter  passed  in  these  regions, 
it  was  impossible  not  to  recollect  that  Melville  Island 
had,  on  the  same  day  two  years  before,  advanced 
full  as  far  as  the  country  now  before  us  in  throwing 
off  its  winter  covering.  The  parts  of  the  land 
which  were  now  the  most  bare  were  the  smooth 
round  tops  of  the  hills,  on  which  here  and  there 
occurred  a  little  pool  of  water,  from  which,  taking 
all  together  within  half  a  mile  round  the  ships,  we 
should  at  this  time  have  had  great  difficulty  in  fill- 
ing half  a  tun.  There  were  also  on  the  lower 
lands,  a  few  dark  uncovered  patches,  looking,  when 
viewed  from  the  hills,  like  islets  in  an  extensive  sea. 
Vegetation  seemed  labouring  to  commence,  and  a 


OP   A   NORTi-vVES^:  PASSAGE. 


few  tufts  of  the  saxifragu  opposii  folia,  when  closely 
examined,  discovered  some  signs  of  lit  A  b'^ta- 
nist,  in  short,  might  have  considered  xgetati-  u  as 
begun,  but  in  the  popular  acceptation  of  the  word 
h  certainly  had  not.  Such  was  the  state  of  things 
on  shore  at  the  conclusion  of  the  month  of  May, 
Upon  the  ice  appearances  were  not  more  promising* 
Except  in  the  immediate  neighbourhood  of  the 
ships,  where,  from  the  constant  trampling  and  the 
laying  of  various  stores  upon  the  ice,  some  heat 
had  artificially  been  absorbed,  it  would  have  been 
difficult  to  point  out  in  what  respect  any  advances 
towards  dissolution  had  been  made  upon  the  upper 
surface,  where  six  or  seven  inches  of  snow  yet  re- 
mained in  every  part.  Here  again,  without  any 
undue  partiality  for  our  old  winter-quarters,  it  was 
natural,  as  well  as  reasonable,  to  bear  in  mind,  that 
before  this  time  we  had  there  experienced  several 
hours  of  hard  rain,  than  which  nothing  proves  more 
effectual  in  dissolving  the  ice.  The  consequence 
was,  that  for  the  last  week  in  May,  at  Melville  IsU 
and,  the  surface  of  the  ice  had  assumed  quite  a 
green  appearance  ;  while  here  it  was  still  as  white 
as  a  covering  of  snow  could  make  it.       t  - 

Under  these  circumstances  I  came  to  the  deter- 
mination, now  that  the  ships  were  ready  for  sea,  to 
try  what  could  be  effected  towards  their  release,  by 
sawing  and  cutting  the  ice ;  for  it  was  vexatious  to 
see  open  water  daily  in  the  offing,  and  not  to  be 
able  to  take  advantage  of  it.  Arrangements  were 
therefore  made  for  getting  everything,  except  the 
tent  and  instruments,  on  board  the  next  day,  and 
for  commencing  this  more  laborious  occupation  on 
tile  following  Monday, 


% 


''f. 


I 


•' 


,{ 


816       SECOND   VOYAGE  FOR  THE   DISCOVERY 

V  On  the  1st  of  June,  having  launched  a  boat  at 
the  mouth  of  the  bay,  I  went  to  sound  in  that  neighs 
bourhood  and  along  the  eastern  side  of  the  island, 
preparatory  to  marking  out  the  intended  canal.  A 
good  deal  of  ice  still  remained  attached  to  the  land ; 
but  as  far  as  we  could  distinguish  to  the  N.N.E.> 
there  was  a  lane  of  clear  water  wide  enough  for 
the  navigation  of  the  ships. 

On  the  morning  of  the  3d,  at  six  A.M.,  both  the 
ships'  companies,  under  their  respective  officers, 
were  set  to  work  upon  the  ice.  A  line  was  accu* 
rately  marked  out  from  each  of  the  Fury's  quarters, 
where  they  were  fifty  feet  apart,  diverging  to  two 
hundred  and  fifty  at  the  edge  of  the  floe,  the  latter 
being  distant  from  the  ships  two  thousand  and  twen- 
ty feet,  or  Just  one  third  of  a  nautical  mile.  It  was 
proposed  to  make  a  cut  through  the  ice  with  the 
saws,  along  the  two  lines  thus  marked  out,  and  then 
a  transverse  section  here  and  there,  the  divergency 
of  the  sides  being  intended  to  facilitate  the  removal 
of  the  pieces  thus  detached  by  first  pulling  them  out 
with  strong  purchases,  and  then  floating  them  down 
the  canal  to  the  sea  without.  Nothing  could  exceed 
the  alacrity  with  which  this  laborious  work  was  un- 
dertaken, and  continued  daily  from  six  in  the  morn- 
ing till  eight  at  night,  with  the  intermission  only  of 
mealtimes  :  nor  could  anything  be  more  lively  and 
interesting  than  the  scene  which  now  presented  it- 
self to  an  observer  on  the  southeast  point.  The 
day  was  beautifully  clear,  the  sea  open  as  far  as  the 
eye  could  stretch  to  the  northward,  and  the  "  busy 
hum"  of  our  people's  voices  could  at  times  be  heard 
mingling  with  the  cheerful  though  fantastic  songs 
with  which  the  Greenland  sailors  are  accustomed  at 


...  .5 


OT   A   NORTHWEST  PASSAGE- 


SI' 


at 


bd. 


E, 


he 


once  to  beguile  their  labour,  and  to  keep  the  neces- 
sary time  in  the  action  of  sawing  the  ice.  The 
whole  prospect,  together  with  the  hopes  and  asso- 
ciations excited  by  it,  was,  to  persons  cooped  up  as 
we  had  been,  exhilarating  beyond  conception. 

In  the  course  of  the  first  week  we  had  completed 
the  two  side  cuts,  and  also  two  shorter  ones  in  the 
space  between  the  ships ;  making  in  all  a  length 
of  two  thousand  three  hundred  feet  on  each  side  of 
the  intended  canal,  the  thickness  of  the  ice  being 
in  general  four  feet,  but  in  one  or  two  places  (where 
the  junction  of  the  sea-ice  with  the  bay-floe  oc- 
casioned some  squeezing)  above  ten  feet  and  a 
half,  scarcely  allowing  our  longest  saws  to  work. 
Laborious  as  this  part  of  the  operation  had  been, 
we  soon  found  it  likely  to  prove  the  least  trouble- 
some of  the  whole ;  for,  on  endeavouring  to  pull  out 
the  pieces  in  the  manner  at  first  intended,  every 
effort  failed,  till  at  length  we  were  reduced  to  the 
necessity  of  cutting  each  block  diagonally  before  it 
could  be  moved  from  its  place.  After  a  week's  ex- 
perience, we  also  learned  that  much  time  had  been 
lost  in  completing  the  whole  of  the  lateral  cuts  at 
once  ;  for  these,  partly  froin  frost,  and  partly  by  the 
closing  together  of  the  sides  of  the  canal,  all  re- 
quired sawing  a  second,  and  in  some  places  even  a 
third  time.  It  was  surprising,  also,  to  see  how  pow- 
erful a  resistance  was  occasioned  by  the  "  sludge" 
produced  in  sawing,  or,  as  the  sailors  called  it,  the 
"sawdust,'*  continuing  in  the  cut,  and  appearing 
to  act,  like  oil  interposed  between  two  plates  of 
glass,  in  keeping  the  masses  united.  In  some  cases, 
a^lso,  a  saw  was  squeezed  so  tight  by  the  pressure 
of  the  iee  in  the  cut,  that  it  became  necessary  to 

Dd2 


i 


■). 


318       SECOND  VOYAGE   FOR  THE  DISCOVERY 

enter  a  second  in  order  to  release  it,  by  sawing  out 
a  circular  plug  of  ice  completely  round  it.  Fa- 
tiguing as  this  work  proved  to  the  men,  I  directed 
it  to  be  continued  to-day,  the  sea  remaning  so  open 
on  the  outside  as  to  give  every  encouragement  to 
our  exertions. 

One  of  our  people,  in  walking  over  the  island, 
met  with  a  swan's  nest,  which  Captain  Lyon  went 
out  to  see,  and  made  a  drawing  of  it.  It  was  built 
of  moss. peat,  being  no  less  than  five  feet  ten  inches 
in  length,  four  feet  nine  inches  wide,  and  two  feet 
deep.  The  hole  of  entrance  in  the  top  was  eighteen 
inches  wide.  Two  eggs,  each  weighing  about  eight 
ounces,  were  found  in  the  nest,  in  which  the  old 
birds  were  also  sitting  at  first,  but  too  wild  to  be 
approached.  The  eggs  are  of  a  cream  or  brown- 
ish white  colour,  in  some  parts  a  little  clouded  by  a 
darker  tinge.  The  female  subsequently  laid  a  third 
egg,  and  soon  afterward  both  birds  appeared  to  have 
wholly  deserted  the  nest. 

In  the  second  week  our  progress  with  the  canal 
had  been  considerable,  it  being  now  completed  with- 
in two  hundred  yards  of  the  Fury's  stern. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  day's  labour  on  the  19th, 
we  had  every  prospect  of  getting  to  sea  in  forty- 
eight  hours  more ;  but,  early  on  the  following  morn- 
ing, when  the  ebb  or  northeasterly  tide  had  made, 
and  was  assisted  by  a  breeze  from  the  southward, 
the  whole  body  of  sea-ice  came  forcibly  in  contact 
with  the  bay-floe,  which  was  now  so  weakened  by 
our  cutting  as  to  split  the  whole  way  from  the  edgo 
up  to  the  Hecla's  stern,  a  Utile  to  the  westward  of 
the  canal,  the  latter  being  almost  immediately  closed 
with  a  considerable  crush,  but  without  afifecting  tho 


OF  A   MORTHWJSST  PASSAGE. 


319 


dhips  which  lay  beyond  it.  The  closing  of  our  ar- 
tificial  canal  had  the  effect  of  partially  opening  a 
natural  one  at  the  place  where  the  ice  had  just  been 
detached ;  but,  as  this  was  incomplete,  coming  grad- 
ually up  to  a  point  astern  of  the  Hecla,  we  were 
at  a  loss  to  know  on  which  of  the  two  our  labour 
would  best  be  employed.  An  attempt  was  first 
made  by  four  strong  purchases,  stretched  from  side 
to  side  across  the  new  crack,  to  pull  the  parts  to- 
gether again,  and  thus  to  leave  our  original  canal 
in  statu  quo.  All  our  power,  however,  being  insuf- 
ficient to  accomplish  this,  we  commenced  with  the 
saws  upon  the  upper  part  of  the  crack,  with  the  in- 
tention of  widening  it  sufiiiciently  for  the  passage 
of  the  ships.  In  this  work  we  had  made  consider- 
able progress,  when,  towards  evening,  it  was  per- 
ceived that  this  was  now  closing,  and  our  former 
canal  reopening  by  the  action  of  the  wind  and  tide. 
Relinquishing  our  last  attempt,  therefore,  we  lost 
no  time  in  floating  some  heavy  pieces  of  ice  into 
the  canal,  to  serve  as  wedges  for  keeping  the  sides 
apart,  in  case  of  any  fresh  pressure  from  without 
again  disposing  them  to  close.  !    - 

At  two  A.M.  on  the  21st,  the  piece  of  the  floe 
which  formed  the  separation  between  the  two  ca- 
nals drifted  bodily  outward,  as  far  as  the  rocks  at 
the  mouth  of  the  bay  and  the  ice  that  lay  upon  them 
would  permit,  taking  with  it  a  heavy  .grounded  mass 
that  lay  near  the  Hecla,  and  on  which  it  had  before 
been  turning  as  on  a  pile  or  pivot ;  shortly  afler  a 
second  mass  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  canal  broko 
oflf,  the  separation  taking  place  upon  the  line  where 
the  ice  had  been  weakened  by  the  sand  we  had  laid 
upon  it.    Our  work  was  now  at  m  eod,  and  w^ 


820       SECOND  VOYAGE  FOR  THE  DISCOVERT 


had  only  to  wait  for  a  northerly  or  westerly  wind 
to  release  us  from  our  present  "  besetment,"  for,  in 
&ict,  it  was  now  nothing  more.  Directions  were 
therefore  given  for  closely  watching  the  motion  of 
the  ice,  both  from  the  ships  as  well  as  by  regular 
visits  to  the  shore  at  the  end  of  every  watch. 

It  now  becomes  my  painful  duty  to  turn  from 
these  busy  occupations,  where  animation,  cheerful* 
nesB,  and  hope  prevailed,  to  the  sad  and  sole^nn 
scenes  of  sickness  and  death ;  for  with  both  of  these 
did  it  please  the  Almighty  to  visit  us  at  this  period ! 
William  Souter,  quartermaster  of  the  Fury,  who,  in 
the  early  part  of  this  week,  had  complained  of  a 
slight  sickness  at  the  stomach,  and,  having  been 
quite  relieved,  was,  in  consequence,  discharged  to 
duty,  was  again,  on  the  morning  of  the  21st,  affect- 
ed in  a  similar  manner  while  on  deck.  On  the  24th, 
his  alarming  symptoms  had  so  much  subsided,  that 
increasing  hopes  were  entertained  of  his  continuing 
to  do  well.  These  flattering  appearances,  however, 
received  a  sudden  check  about  noon  on  the  25th, 
after  which  time  he  began  rapidly,  though  gradual. 
]y,  to  droop,  and  between  six  and  seven  in  the  even- 
ing  breathed  his  last. 

The  impossibility  of  removing  Souter  from  the 
sick  bay,  ader  the  last  alarming  change  took  place, 
rendered  his  death,  or,  rather,  the  convulsive  strug- 
gles which  for  some  hours  preceded  that  event,  a 
dreadful  trial  to  poor  Reid,  whose  state  had  for  some 
time  past  been  scarcely  better,  the  difficulty  in  his 
breathing  having  increased  to  a  most  distressing 
degree.  When  Souter  was  dying,  Reid  remarked 
that  he  should  not  be  long  afler  him  ;  and  on  the 
26th,  when  Mr.  Fisher  had  attended  and  prayed 


^•^ 


,^_» 


OF  A  NOETHWEST  PASSAGE. 


321 


t 


w'th  him,  he  said  that  he  should  go  at  one  bell 
(half  past  six),  and  then  enumerated  all  his  clothes 
to  one  of  the  men,  who,  at  his  request,  wrote  them 
down  for  him.  After  four  o'clock  he  did  not  speak, 
and,  gradually  sinking,  expired  at  the  time  he  had 
mentioned. 

On  the  28th,  the  remains  of  our  deceased  ship- 
mates were  committed  to  the  earth,  with  every  so- 
lemnity that  so  mournful  an  occasion  demanded. 
They  were  interred  in  one  grave,  on  a  rising  ground 
a  few  hundred  yards  from  the  sea  to  the  northeast- 
ward of  the  ships.  A  handsome  tomb  of  stone  and 
mortar  was  built  over  the  spot,  having  at  one  end 
a  stone  let  in,  with  the  usual  information  engraved 
on  it.  The  sides  were  plastered  with  a  kind  of 
viscous  clay  found  in  one  of  the  ponds,  and  the  top 
covered  with  tufts  of  the  purple  saxifrage.  The 
duties  of  the  ships  now  permitting  it.  Captain  Lyon 
employed  his  men  in  building  a  similar  tomb  over 
the  grave  of  Pringle. 


HI 


END  OF  VOL.   I. 


K 


*"'  '4 


